The Sound of a Whisper
by Frodo01228
Summary: Everyone knows you don’t give Vicadin to children. At least not enough for an adult. People make mistakes, but doctors aren’t supposed to. Unfortunately, it was a doctor’s mistake that led to the loss of his hearing.
1. Chapter 1: Adrenaline Rush

_**Chapter 1:**_ _Adrenaline Rush_

I stood on the bridge, gazing out over the water. My hand held onto the pole, and my feet were balanced on the railing. It had seemed so simple when I'd been at home; all I had to do was let go. But I couldn't. I felt as if my hand had been super-glued to the pole. Why? My own body wouldn't let me end my life when I wanted so desperately just to die. Everyone would be happier without me; I dragged them all down. I closed my eyes, pushing the heel of my hand against them as if to force the tears back into my head. Everyone tried so hard to help me; Jazz would probably be the most wounded if I did this.

But none of them could understand what this felt like. How could they? There was nothing wrong with them. They had fully functioning bodies. I didn't. I'd started out normal. Even though I'd been four, I still remembered the accident that had made me a freak. How could you forget something like that? It stayed with you for the rest of your life. It had been a stupid childhood whim that I was ready to take the training wheels off of my bike at only four years old. I don't really remember how I got them off, but I remember going too fast down the hill of my street and leaping off my bike. My head hit the concrete, and my vision went black. When I woke up, I couldn't hear.

It wasn't even the accident that had made me this way. Our usual family doctor had gone on an extended leave so my parents had rushed me to the hospital. My twin sister Jazz had stayed at home with our family friend Vlad Masters. Vlad had wanted to take me to a different hospital, and I wish now my parents had listened to him instead. The doctor I was taken to had just graduated and made a stupid mistake—a stupid mistake that cost me my hearing. No experienced doctor would think to give a child Vicadin, no matter how much pain he was in. That's what he gave me, and he continued to give it to me until my release.

For several days after, I seemed fine. Then I woke up one morning and couldn't hear. The doctors claimed my condition would only be temporary. Now twenty-one years old, I was still waiting for temporary to be over. Living with this kind of handicap took a lot out of a person. I couldn't drive, I could only speak a few words like my family's names, and the settlement money from the doctor that did this to me paid for my private tutor. I hated that old bat the most; she might have been trained to teach deaf children, but she definitely didn't like them. She always sneered at me.

Jazz was really the one that got me through my childhood. She took it upon herself to teach me sign language, though I fought her on it. I didn't want to try and live life without sound. The doctors had said temporary.

I snorted. _Temporary, my ass._ Opening my eyes, I gazed down at the water once more. I shifted my hand; it didn't seem glued to the pole anymore. I leaned forward, finding breathing difficult all of a sudden as I stood precariously balanced over the water. I closed my eyes again, and I let go of the pole. I fell through the air; the adrenaline rush was amazing. My body twisted and turned as if I were doing some sort of spectacular dive. I opened my eyes just as my back connected with the water. _Shit, that's cold!_ Then I saw her leaning over the railing staring down at me. _Who is that?_

The water closed over my head, and I instinctively took a deep breath. I inhaled the water, and my body worked even as my brain began to shut down. It had been thrown into self-preservation. But as darkness began to creep into my vision, my body started to shut down too. I had succeeded. _I'm sorry, Jazz…_

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I woke to a slap in the face. The same young woman that had been standing on the bridge was now leaning over me, pressing on my chest. I let out a raspy groan, turning my head to cough up water. She stopped pushing on my chest then, gazing down at me. Her lips moved, her brows furrowed together, and her lilac eyes were narrowed in anger. Whatever she said, it must have had something to do with the fact that she'd destroyed my attempted suicide.

Shaking my head, I pointed to my ear and shook my head again. Her angry demeanor diminished, her red lips forming a little "o". She looked sheepish after that; she had probably ranted for a while. Hell, I figured she might have tried to call out to me to stop me. She stood and held out a hand to help me up. I didn't want to move, and I certainly didn't want to be alive like I was right now. I scowled and pushed her hand away. She frowned and walked away. I hoped she would leave, and I closed my eyes to try and figure out what I should try next since drowning had been foiled.

Something hard fell onto my chest, but it wasn't heavy. I opened my eyes and groaned when I saw the legal pad and the young woman standing over me. She had a pen in her hands, and she had written a message on the pad. "_Why are you trying to kill yourself?_" With a sigh, I pointed to my ear once more. Her gaze darkened, her lips pursed, and she snatched up the pad once more to write another message. "_So, being unable to hear is a good reason to kill yourself, huh?_"

My eyes narrowed, and I growled at her. What right did she have to judge what a good reason was to kill himself. She wasn't a freak. She was whole. Jerking the pad and the pen out of her hand, I wrote, "_You don't know how much I've had to suffer. You wouldn't understand what it's like having to live like this. Just leave me alone._"

She stomped her foot like a child. Her lips moved, and I had a feeling she was ranting again. At least I couldn't hear it. This was one time I didn't mind being deaf. The rant seemed to have only been for her though. She only wrote one sentence on the pad. "_No life deserves to be wasted like this, no matter the excuse._"

I snatched the pad back from her, scribbling furiously. "_You think I'm doing this just for me? My family has done nothing but care for me since the accident that took my hearing away. For fourteen long years, I've suffered like this. I'm doing this so that my parents' lives aren't wasted. I'm doing this so that my sister will go out and get a life. I want them all to stop hovering around me. They don't deserve this, and I didn't either. That's why my life has to end. It's for them._"

"_Too fucking bad,_" she wrote. "_If you jump again, I'm going in after you._"

_Oh, I'm not planning to jump…_ But I didn't write anything to her, Scowling at her, I stood and wobbled for a moment. I jerked my arm away from her when she reached out to help me, shooting a glare at her. She didn't even blink. Instead, she held up the pad where she'd written her name: Sam. I stared at her for a long while before taking the pad from her and writing down my name too. "_I'm Danny._"

My body didn't cooperate well after that freezing water. After arguing through another sheet of paper, I had reluctantly agreed to let Sam drive me home. I sat in the passenger seat, scowling and trying hard not to shiver. My hope had been that she would leave so I could try another way. Of course, I hadn't been that lucky. She was like a mosquito. _Maybe I'll catch pneumonia or something. Then I can die…_ It seemed too much to hope for though.

The cars in the driveway told me that everyone was home. The limo on the street revealed that Vlad had come over for dinner. The man was a permanent fixture at our home. I walked inside with Sam trailing after me. My family sat at the dining room table with Vlad; they were smiling and laughing without having to pause to sign for a freak like me. Jazz noticed me first and ran over.

"_Danny, you're all wet! What happened to you?_" she signed as the rest of the group joined her to surround me and the girl. "_You have a girlfriend?_" Her lips moved so she must have said that aloud too for Sam's sake.

"_She's not my girlfriend_," I signed quickly, frustrated. The young woman beside me must have denied it as well because the whole group looked between us curiously. I didn't want to answer why I was wet, but Sam must have taken care of that for me.

"_Suicide? Danny, how could you?!_" Jazz signed.

"_Sweetie, why didn't you just talk to us?_" my mother asked. "_There's nothing that would demand your death!_"

My father just shook his head, arms crossed over his chest. It was like watching too many TV shows at one time. I had to look away. The modge podge of moving hands along with my dad's "silent" disapproval and Vlad's curious stares gave me a headache. It was Sam who tapped me on the shoulder, making me turn around to look at the pad she held up once more. "_You need to go get out of those wet clothes. You are not catching some deadly sickness from this just so you can try to die again._"

"_You march up those stairs this instant, young man!_" That came from my dad, the first thing the big man had actually signed for me to see. "_Put some dry clothes on then come back down here. We need to talk about your punishment. You are_ grounded."

My jaw dropped. "Dad!" I cried aloud before raising my hands to sign furiously. "_I am not a child anymore. So what if I want to end my life? It's my decision!_"

"_That life still belongs to us, son,_" Jack signed back. "_You may be eighteen, but you're living in our house. There are consequences to stupid actions._"

I dropped my gaze to the floor, hands clenching and unclenching. Very slowly, I raised my hands and signed, "_I'm only still living here because I'm DEAF. I can't get a job much less a place of my own._"

Jazz threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly. I could feel tears on her cheeks, but I just couldn't feel guilty about making her cry. Why didn't they understand that I was doing this for them? My mom practically dragged me upstairs and pointed me to my room. She didn't have to sign for me to know that she was telling me to get out of those wet clothes and come back down. The angry look on her face and the way she crossed her arms was enough to tell me that she wasn't happy with me either.

I took my time getting dressed. I had no reason to hurry. I didn't want to hear all the arguments my family would try and press on me regarding my attempted suicide. They just couldn't understand. None of them knew what this was like. _It's worse than hell…_ I stripped off my wet clothes and tossed them in a pile before tugging on some dry ones. A scowl fixed firmly in place, I headed downstairs. Sam sat at the table with my family as if she belonged there, and my empty chair was right beside her.

Gritting my teeth, I signed, "_She is not staying._"

"_She is,_" my mother signed. "_She saved you, and we want her to be part of this discussion._"

"_There is no discussion!_" I argued, wanting to pull out my hair. "_There is nothing to discuss! I want to kill myself. So what? Let me die!_"

Vlad still sat at the table, the only one that hadn't said anything just yet. At that comment, he stood so abruptly from his chair that he nearly knocked it over. He walked straight over to me and slapped me across the face. I stared at the billionaire with a slacked jaw. "_You do not talk back to your parents, Daniel_," the billionaire signed slowly but deliberately. "_They raised you and took care of you. They don't deserve that kind of talk from you_."

I scowled and looked away, cheeks flushed. Vlad was like an uncle or a second father, and it was just as embarrassing to have Vlad punish me in front of a stranger as if my own father had done it. The billionaire shook my shoulder, forcing me to look back at him. "_Apologize_," he signed, turning and pushing the young man forward slightly.

I gritted my teeth but turned to my parents. "_I'm sorry, but that's how I feel. I don't want to live so why can't you just let me die?_"

My parents let Sam answer. I just wanted to slap this girl, and my parents had practically adopted her. She didn't talk out loud and wait for my parents to translate. She just wrote what she wanted to say down on that stupid legal pad. "_Why are you giving up so easily? There are so many things you can do. So many people have overcome such a handicap. Why can't you? Think of Beethoven._"

Slapping a hand to my forehead, I growled. Why did everyone try to encourage me with deaf musicians? "_Beethoven at least had some kind of talent going for him,_" I signed, letting my parents translate for her. "_I don't have any special talents. I'm talentless._"

"_Everyone has a talent,_" she argued on her piece of paper. "_You just need to find yours._"

"_Oh, really? Are you volunteering to help with that then?_" I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring at her.

"_I wouldn't miss this opportunity for the world,_" she wrote, grinning at me. I don't think sarcasm comes through well in signing.

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Sam became a permanent fixture at our house, even more so than Vlad. She came over every day, learning sign language from Jazz—I absolutely _refused_ to teach her—and pestering me with little quizzes and things she found to help me find my talent. Even if I _did_ have a talent, even if I found it, that wouldn't change my mind. I didn't want to live like this. It was just my luck to only get a stupid cold from diving into the cold water. I couldn't hear myself coughing, but from the way my family cringed, they must've been pretty bad. Vlad took me to a doctor, but all she could give me were vitamins and advice to drink lots of fluids. I think he did it just to double-check that I didn't have pneumonia.

I sat in my room, tapping my pencil on the chemistry book open before me. My parents had encouraged me to enter college after high school, and though I didn't have any idea what to major in, I had done it just to appease them. My punishment since grounding didn't work—I didn't go anywhere anyway—was to figure out what my major would be before the beginning of the spring semester. I sneezed, wiping at my nose. That stupid cold still hadn't gone away though I no longer coughed as much as I used to.

A hand fell on my book, a hand I had begun to recognize and loathed with all my being. Sam stood beside me, grinning at me like a Cheshire cat. "_We're going out_," she signed to me. "_You need to get out of the house._"

I scowled at her. "_I am not going anywhere. Fuck off._" Her eyes narrowed, and she raised her hands to sign something else. I turned my attention back to my book. At least I had one fun thing about being deaf—I could easily ignore people.

My chair tipped backward, and I blinked up at the ceiling in surprise. Sam stood beside me, her eyes still narrowed. Still dazed from my head hitting the floor, I couldn't look away in time to ignore her signing. "_We_ are _going out, and you're going to have fun, damn it._"

I really, really hated this girl.

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_**Author's Note:**_ _You know… I have nothing to say right now._

_**Disclaimer:**_ _I'm only going to say this once, so listen well: I don't own Danny Phantom. There, happy?_


	2. Chapter 2: Little Deaf Boy

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_**Chapter 2:**_ _Little Deaf Boy_

I stood beside a table in the skating rink, scowling at the young woman sitting at the table putting on her skates. Of all the places to bring me to, the skating rink was not my idea of fun. I still held my skates by the laces, glaring at them and refusing to put them on. Two hands suddenly grasped my shoulders, and I found myself pushed down onto the seat. Sam stood in front of me, arms crossing over her chest as she gave me a pointed look. I shook my head, growling.

"_Danny, if you don't put those skates on this instant, I will have to hurt you,_" she signed. I didn't move. "_You look like a child that didn't get his way! Should I change your diaper too?_"

Another growl escaped me, and I jerked the skates toward me, toeing off my shoes and stuffing my feet into the ridiculous wheeled contraptions. "_Happy?_" I signed once I'd laced them up. "_Can we go now?_"

She just smiled brilliantly before grabbing my hand and dragging me toward the rink. My eyes widened as I was tugged out of the seat. I scrambled to grab the table, but she'd already rolled me away from it. "_No!_" I signed as Sam tugged me closer and closer to the rink. "_I don't want to skate! I put on the fucking things like you said. You never said anything about skating._"

Rolling her eyes, she released me to sign, "_What_ did _you think we were here for?_"

I wobbled unsteadily on the skates, swallowing hard. My eyes widened as I started to roll forward without my say. I grabbed onto Sam, having no idea how to stop myself. This proved to be a bad idea as we both tumbled to the ground. My head hit the cement; she only fell on her butt.

Sitting up, I rubbed my head and scowled at her. "_This is why I didn't want to skate,_" I signed.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "_You don't know how to skate?_"

I could feel the heat radiating off my cheeks, and I crossed my arms over my chest, looking away with a huff. After the disastrous bike accident that had led to my deafness, I hadn't wanted anything to do with any other contraptions that had wheels. By the time I grew out of that fear, though, it seemed too late to learn. A hand fell into my line of sight; I looked up to find Sam standing over me with a smile on her face. She didn't seriously expect me to try this again. But from the way that she just stood there waiting for me to grab her hand, I could see that she did.

With a groan, I took her offered hand and let her help me back up onto my feet. She led me to the wall surrounding the skating rink, and I clung to that while she signed. "_I'll teach you. It's really simple, Danny._"

Easy for _her_ to say. She had all five senses. I heaved a sigh as she held her hand out for mine again, not objecting as she grasped it and pulled me onto the rink. People of all ages zipped by on the same four-wheeled devices attached to my feet right now. How could they make this look so easy? Because it would take too long to long to sign all of the directions on how to do this, Sam gave me one: Watch my feet. So, as she skated away from me, I kept an eye on her feet then compared it to others skating around the rink.

Sam came skating back to me and signed, "_Do you want to try now?_"

Knowing I was about to make a big fool out of myself, I nodded anyway and let her take my hand. My movements were jerky and uncertain, but with Sam's encouragement I made it around the rink. The second time, I went around alone. It really was as easy as Sam had promised. Then something rammed into the back of me, sending myself and whoever had hit me tumbling to the ground. The young woman that had run into me sat up and started yelling at me. At least, I think that's what she was doing. Her lips were moving, and she looked angry. How could she be angry at me? She ran into _me_!

I glanced around for Sam, hoping she was nearby. She must have gone to get a drink of water or something because she wasn't on the rink. Then I found myself being lifted up by two big hands. A man twice my size shoved me against the wall of the rink. I had a feeling he was the girl's boyfriend or something. I shook my head frantically as his lips moved, pointing to my ear. Either he was completely retarded, or he just didn't get the hint. His hand balled into a fist, and I cringed and ducked my head knowing it would be coming toward me soon.

Several seconds ticked by. I waited for at least a full minute before peeking open an eye then opening them completely. The big guy was now sitting on the ground with Sam standing over him. He had a hand on his eye, and I had a feeling he'd be sporting a really big black eye later in the week. Maybe she explained what I couldn't get across. I really wouldn't have known or cared to know. All I knew was that I had a new appreciation for this girl.

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I still didn't really like Sam. Or at least I tried not to. After all, my parents had pretty much assigned her as my body guard so I didn't try to kill myself again. They feared my death so much that if I even had so much as a headache, Sam had to get the Tylenol for me, and I wasn't allowed another dose for a week just to make sure I had actually taken it and not saved it. But seriously, why would I try to kill myself by overdose? All that vomiting and everything isn't very appealing. Hell, I wouldn't even try drowning again now that I knew how painful that was. I wanted a painless way out.

The one good thing about trying to drown myself was that now I had a friend who could sign too. I didn't have friends because, well, no one had the patience to learn sign language just to be able to talk to me. Sam, however, had more than enough patience to not only learn sign language but to also teach me how to say her name out loud. I knew how to say my family's names, Vlad's name, and even Vlad's cat's name. Names were easy to say as long as they were short. So, because Sam's name was short, she insisted I had to know how to say hers too. She got this weird little blush on her face the first time I finally said it right, and she wouldn't say why either.

"_What is the point of going to see a movie?_" I asked, scowling at the young woman standing beside me. "_Can't hear, remember?_"

She just grinned. "_That's why I chose this movie. You'll see when it starts._"

"_I really don't like you right now_," I said.

"_That's okay. I like you._" Then she turned her attention to the movie screen as the lights dimmed.

Scowling, I turned my attention to the screen as well. It wasn't that I didn't want to see this movie. I really, really wanted to see this movie. Of course, being deaf makes it a little hard to see anything in theatres. So, I usually just waited for it to come out on DVD or hoped that it was released with subtitles. I hadn't heard of this movie being released with subtitles so I had made no plans to go and see it in the theatres. In fact, the director had specifically stated that he wouldn't be releasing the movie to the theatres with subtitles. Subtitles would only be available on DVD.

I would have to think of something really mean to get back at Sam for this one. Maybe I could dip her in honey and cover her with feathers. Or maybe I could draw mustaches and beards on all of her posters. Nah, what I should do had to be elegant. She needed to be punished for this. She needed to suffer. She needed—

My eyes widened as the movie began and subtitles appeared under the images. She needed to be kissed is what she needed. I shot a glance over to her; she was smiling at me. "_I have connections,_" she signed. "_It pays sometimes to have rich parents._"

"_Sam, this is… I don't even know what to say. Thank you._" I really couldn't find a way to express my gratitude with just my hands. She didn't know just how deep my joy went. I whispered her name, hoping the reverence and awe I felt had come through in those three letters. She blushed again. One of these days, I would have to figure out why Sam blushed every time I said her name.

My parents were home when we got back from the movie. My mom was making dinner, but they both grinned when we came in. "_How was the movie, kids?_" she asked.

"_Oh, Danny was fairly surprised_," Sam said, grinning at me.

My jaw dropped. "_You knew?!_" I crossed my arms over my chest, growling. I could not believe they'd all kept this from me.

"_Oh, stop it,_" Sam signed. "_You look like a sulking child._"

"_I'm not sulking!_" I scowled at Sam before looking away with a huff. That girl could really get on my nerves.

I turned my gaze away as she walked around me stand in front of me. I would not give her the satisfaction of teasing me again. She grasped my chin and tugged it down so I would look at her. "_Don't pout, Danny. I'm just teasing you._"

I rolled my eyes and refrained from telling her that I don't pout. Instead I signed, "_All right, all right. Will you let go of my chin now?_"

She smiled at me then released my chin as I had asked before walking over to my mother. Apparently she had volunteered to help make dinner. I couldn't help being a little glad I was deaf since they were probably chatting about all that girl stuff no man really wanted to hear. I picked up an apple from the basket on the counter and tossed it from hand to hand before taking a bite. I glanced back at Sam and my mom, frowning a bit. Sam was blushing again, and my mom was laughing. I don't think I wanted to know what they were talking about, but I asked anyway.

Sam shook her head, and my mom just waved me away. "_Go get your father and your sister. Dinner's almost ready,_" she signed to me.

I rolled my eyes. "_Women_," I signed before shaking my head and leaving the kitchen. "Dinner!" I shouted, grinning smugly when I felt the vibrations of something dropping in the kitchen. I hoped Sam had made a big mess.

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There was a little boy only about five years old on campus two weeks later. I didn't know why, but I had a feeling he hadn't meant to come here. No one else even stopped to look at him. I might be the only person that didn't just look right through him, but I couldn't communicate with him. Glancing around, I heaved a sigh then headed over to him. I took out a piece of paper and a pen, writing down a message before showing it to the boy who looked up at me with big, trusting brown eyes. "_Are you lost?_" His brows furrowed, his lips moving as if trying to sound out the words written on the paper.

Shaking his head, he raised his hands and signed, "_I can't read._"

Setting the paper aside and kneeling so the little boy didn't have to stare up at me, I signed back to him. "_Are you deaf?_" He nodded, his lower lip jutting out as he lowered his head. I couldn't help but grin. I could communicate with this boy after all. Raising his chin, I signed back to him, "_I am too._"

His big eyes brightened, and he looked at the university before back up at me. "_How come you go to the big college like Mommy instead of a special school?_"

"_Because I don't let my handicap get the best of me_," I signed back. "_Just because I'm deaf doesn't mean I'm stupider than the rest of these people. I just can't hear, that's all. It may take me a little bit longer to grasp the concepts taught in these classes, but the struggle is worth it._"

"_I wanna be just like you then!_" He beamed up at me, and I couldn't help grinning back at him. He was a cute kid, and he reminded me a lot of myself in my younger years.

"_Where is your mom?_"

"_In class. I sit out here because it's pretty, and sometimes the little old lady gives me candy._"

I knew which lady he was referring to. That woman would wander around campus every day passing out candies with a smile. She had even learned a little bit of sign from me—and possibly from this little boy. "_Well, you can't sit out here all by yourself… It's dangerous._"

"_I know…_" He hung his head again, but he kept his hands in my view as he signed. "_Mommy always leaves me in the daycare, but the kids are mean to me. They_ _push me and throw things at me._"

I sat down beside him. I knew I would miss my class, but I didn't feel right leaving this boy alone. "_Well, I'll stay with you until your mom comes._"

"_Thanks, mister!_" His grin nearly split his face, he was just so happy. "_My name's Jeremy. What's yours?_"

"_I'm Danny. Tell me, Jeremy, why can't you read?_"

His little shoulders slumped, and he averted his gaze. "_It's too hard. I can't hear the sounds so I can't figure out the words._"

"_What? Who told you that?_" I asked, surprised. "_It can be just as easy for you as for any of the other kids. Let me show you._" Taking out the pad and paper again, I wrote down a few sentences from a book I had had in kindergarten. He leaned over to watch then watched my hands as I signed each word separately.

We worked on it for almost an hour before Sam showed up to take me home. I introduced Jeremy to her then asked her if she would help Jeremy learn how to say the word "Mommy" out loud. He had expressed an interest in doing so when I told him that I could say my family member's names. Of course, Jeremy's case was different from mine. He had been born deaf while I had not. I had already known the basic sounds of the words and had managed to figure out how to say them even after losing my hearing.

Jeremy's mother showed up an hour later, looking a bit frazzled. "_Jeremy! What have I told you about leaving the day care?! You scared me to death!_"

Standing, the little boy hung his head in shame then looked up at his mother. "_I'm sorry, Mommy._" From the way that she started to cry and pulled him up into her arms, I had a feeling he had said the last word out loud too, and Sam only confirmed this when I asked her.

"_These are my friends, Mommy,_" Jeremy signed to her. "_This is Danny and his friend Sam. Danny's deaf too._"

The woman smiled at me. "_I'm Sarah. Thank you so much for watching over Jeremy for me. I've never seen him so happy._"

"_It was my pleasure,_" I signed back, feeling my cheeks light up at the unspoken praise. "_I would gladly watch him for you while you're in class if you need me to. I really do understand why he doesn't like the daycare, and I don't mind watching him either._"

"_Thank you. I might take you up on that. Let me get your number._"

After I'd written my number down on a piece of paper for her, she and little Jeremy left. The little boy kept waving over her shoulder until she put him in the car. Sam poked my arm to get my attention. "_Shouldn't you have been in class right now?_"

I rolled my eyes. "Sam," I said aloud before signing, "_I was the only one that saw the boy. I wasn't going to leave him there._" Then I grinned. "_Besides, I think I just found my major_."

"_Oh, smart ass? What might that be?_" Sam asked, her cheeks still flushed. I still couldn't understand why she blushed each time I said her name. I had to sound terrible and really loud.

I brushed that from my mind for now and grinned at her again. "_I want to teach._"

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_**Author's Note:**_ _You know, I really like this story… I don't know why I decided to do it in Danny's POV, but it really suits this story. He can't hear anything so you don't get to either. There is no dialogue in this story! Wow. Or does sign language count as dialogue? Hmm…_ _Isn't Jeremy so cute??? I haven't decided yet if he's going to come back in, but Danny did leave the mom with his number so it's possible. And before you ask, "How can he talk on the phone? He's deaf!" Well, he won't be talking on the phone. His parents will and will translate between him and Sarah. So, there._

_**Blanket disclaimer:**_ _See the bottom of Chapter 1._


	3. Chapter 3: Enough Kissing

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_**Chapter 3:**_ _Enough Kissing_

"_Teach? But Danny, you've never had the patience for that kind of thing,_" my mom said when Sam and I got home. I really think mother's were made to annoy us.

"_I think he can do it, Maddie. He was very patient with little Jeremy today,_" Sam said, and I couldn't help grinning at her in appreciation. Sometimes, I really liked Sam. "_But I was only there for the last hour._" Other times, I really wanted to wring her neck as she smirked at me. "_Still, he hadn't made the boy cry yet so that has to be a good sign._"

"_If your father wasn't a rich, powerful billionaire, I would kill you right now,_" I signed to her, scowling.

"_All kidding aside,_" my mom interrupted. "_Are you sure this is what you want, Danny?_"

I thought about it for a moment. I remembered the joy on Jeremy's face as he read the books I had written for him. I remember the way he excitedly signed the words back to me when I had him read a book alone. Maybe I didn't want to teach high school or teenagers, but I know I wanted to help every other little kid have the same excitement about being able to read. I could even hire a hearing TA that knew sign so she could teach them a few words. Of course, that would have to be after I actually became a teacher.

Looking up at my mother, I nodded. "_I really do want to do this. Sometimes, parents don't know how to teach children like me. You did, but I don't think Jeremy's mom did. I think there are a lot more kids out there that could benefit from a teacher like me._"

"_I think he just wants all the little kids to look up to him like some kind of super hero,_" Sam signed, grinning at me as I glared at her.

"_You don't have to be here,_" I reminded her.

"_But where would you be without me?_" she signed, grinning that cheeky grin of hers. There were times when I really, really wanted to wipe that grin off her face.

I realized too late just how hard a teaching major would be. Not only was I going for a Bachelor's degree in education, but I had also decided to get a multiple-subject credential so I could teach young children like Jeremy. That one little boy became my inspiration. His adorable little face and his desire to become just like me were what kept me going as I struggled through my classes.

"_Just make sure that you're doing this for you_," Jazz kept reminding me. "_If this isn't what you're want, you're not going to feel motivated enough to continue._"

Sometimes, having a sister that's a psychiatrist is not a good thing. I really couldn't wait for her to find some other guy to analyze. Still, Jazz did have a point. I had never felt motivated before. I had just gone to college because my parents told me to. Now, I had a dream and a plan.

"_You should volunteer at the library_," Sam signed to me as she walked with me to the university. She was studying to be a nurse, and she had also taken several courses of sign language. "_You could get some experience that way._"

I looked over at her with a frown. "Saam," I whined the signed, "_Isn't my schedule full enough? Between my classes, homework, chores, and fighting your daily trips out, I barely have any time to myself._" I grinned. "_Unless you plan on removing yourself from that list._"

She gave me a droll look. "_Funny, Fenton. But you're not getting rid of me that easily. I'll meet you at the flag pole, okay?_"

I rolled my eyes. "_Do I have a choice?_"

"_Nope._" She grinned at me then waved and ran off to some sort of science class.

If she ever does become a nurse, I hope her patients drive her crazy. She was definitely making _me_ crazy.

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"_You got a call today,_" my mom signed. "_A woman named Sarah wanting you to watch her son?_"

I grinned. Sam wouldn't be able to bug me about volunteer work anymore. "_Yes, I know her. Did she say when she wanted me to watch him?_"

"_She left her class schedule with me._" My mom handed me a piece of paper, and I couldn't help but grin. I would be just out of class for most of these. It would work perfectly. "_She said her son couldn't stop talking about you and wants to learn to read more._"

Why did she look so nervous? "_What, Mom? What's wrong? And don't give me any of that bullshit that nothing's wrong. I can see it in your face._"

"_I just wish you would have warned me. I don't like strange women calling you like that._"

I rolled my eyes. "Mom!" "_She's not a strange woman. I'm sorry I forgot to tell you who she was, but she's not a weirdo. Jeremy's her son._"

She seemed a bit more comfortable at that. What exactly was my mom worried about, anyway? It's not like I could have a girlfriend; I was deaf. Girls just weren't interested in me.

Sarah didn't need me to watch Jeremy on Fridays. Jeremy's dad had join custody so he got his son for the weekend. So, I had an hour to kill while I waited for Sam to get out of class. I know sometimes she could get on my nerves, but walking home with her was better than walking home alone. She said her dad had bought her a car, but it was still on its way over. When I asked what that meant, she had flushed and signed, "_He bought me a Ferrari_." So, the car was on its way over from Italy.

I had walked the halls several times already before deciding I needed to go to the library or something. I thought I saw this girl following me, but every time I looked back she wasn't there. Still, I kept seeing her out of the corner of my eye; I thought for sure I was going crazy. I was in the children's books, looking for books for Jeremy when she actually walked up to me. She leaned against the bookshelf beside me, her lips moving. I shook my head, pointing to my ear, and her eyes brightened. Why did I suddenly have a bad feeling in gut?

She grabbed my arm and dragged me away. I don't know how this girl was stronger than me, but even when I shook my head and tugged to try and free my arm, she didn't let go. Why would a girl be heading for the restroom and take me with her? This had something bad written all over it. She dragged me inside, made sure the entire bathroom was empty then locked me in a stall with her. My eyes widened as she pressed me against the tile and leaned forward to kiss me. My brain froze as her lips met mine. My first kiss, and I didn't even get a choice in the girl.

I was jolted back to life when her hand snaked down my pants. "Sam!" I shouted, though I knew she had to be across campus somewhere. I whimpered and shook my head as this strange girl popped the first button on my jeans. "Sam!!!!" I closed my eyes tightly, willing for this all to go away. I was not just about to get raped; this girl had not just kissed me. I felt the whoosh of air as the door was pushed open, my eyes snapping open. The girl backed away from me as Sam walked in; I would have too if I hadn't been so traumatized. Sam looked just about as dangerous as an atomic bomb.

She glanced over at me, and I just sank to the floor, my head in my hands. My legs were shaking too badly to hold me up anymore. I had always thought men couldn't be raped. Apparently, they could be. For what seemed like several minutes, I sat there taking in deep breaths and letting them out slowly. A hand touched my shoulder, and I looked up at Sam. That girl was gone, and the fire in Sam's eyes had dimmed.

"_Danny_," she signed. "_What happened?_"

"_She… kissed me. Then she started…_" I just shook my head. I didn't want to even think about where that would have gone. "_I tried to tell her no, but she didn't stop. I couldn't… hit her. I didn't want to hurt her._" I looked up at Sam, swallowing hard. "_How did you get here so fast?_"

"_My class let out early. When I didn't see you at the flag pole, I had a feeling you'd come here._" Standing, she held out a hand for me. I let her pull me up, still shaking too badly to want to even figure out what had just been about to happen.

"_Are you okay?_" Sam asked me later as we walked to my place.

"_I'm… better_," I signed sowly. "_I just didn't know men could_ get _raped._"

"_Well of course not. What man would report that he'd been taken advantage of? It's a little damaging to the male ego and all to know that they weren't in control._" That managed to get a bit of a grin out of me. "_There we go. That's the Danny I know._"

I stuck my tongue out at her. "_She kissed me too._" I made a face. "_My first kiss, and it had to be_ her_._"

"_That doesn't count, Danny. If you didn't kiss her back, it wasn't a real first kiss._"

"_Oh? Do you know this from personal experience? Are you the self-proclaimed first kiss patrol?_"

Her face flushed, and she rolled her eyes at me. "_Don't get cute, Fenton. Go back to being the sad little victim._"

"_What, are you going to kiss my boo-boo and make it better?_" I teased. My eyes widened as I found lips connecting with mine for the second time that day. I really must be attractive if I kept getting random women kissing me. Her lips were soft and sweet, and I really, really wanted to return the kiss.

Then she pulled away. Her eyes were wide, and she looked stunned. "_I'm sorry. I didn't mean to! In the moment and everything…_" Why was she trying to explain herself? That kiss was perfect. The taste of her lips still lingered on mine, and I really, really wanted to kiss her now. "_Danny? Are you okay? You've got a dorky grin on your face._"

I guess she really hadn't meant to kiss me after all. I scowled at her. "_I'm fine. Let's just get home, okay? I've had enough kissing for one day._"

I couldn't have been more confused than after those two kisses I had experienced. Sure, I kind of figured the one with that strange girl meant nothing. She had only been after one thing, and thankfully Sam had foiled that. But the kiss with Sam… I still don't know why she kissed me. She blushes more around me now, and it only confuses me further. Did I do something to make her act so weird? I mean, she apologized for the kiss; that means she didn't want it, right? I will never understand women, of that I was certain.

"_I think she likes you,_" Jazz signed after Sam had left for the day. I scowled at my sister, and she just grinned at me. "_She keeps looking at you like she wants you to kiss her. Did something happen?_"

"_Well, she saved me from near-rape if that's what you mean,_" I signed back with a roll of my eyes. "_Of course, then Sam kissed me. I still don't get it. She was all flustered and everything and she_ apologized _for kissing me. Something about being in the moment. What the hell does that mean?_"

"_My poor, naïve little brother. Maybe you'll figure it out someday. I'm not going to help you with this one._"

I scowled at her. I knew Jazz had a lot more experience with romance and dating and all of that. I couldn't even count how many boyfriends I had seen come through our house. Of course, Jazz claimed most of those boys were students she was tutoring. Well, _they_ certainly wanted to date even if she hadn't been interested. And then Jazz and the boy she'd brought home as her "tutor." All the shy little looks she sent him and the gushing over his "brilliance." I knew for a fact that she knew this subject well enough on her own. I thought she'd lost her mind. Of course, they had ended up kissing by the end of the night. I mean, if I didn't know better, I would have said Sam was acting the same exact—Oh…

It hit me as I was walking up the stairs to my room. The shy looks, the blushing, the teasing; hell, even the kiss after the whole thing with the bathroom. Jazz was right; Sam wanted me to kiss her. But I was too much of a shy dork to even notice the signs. I could feel the heat on my cheeks, and I scowled. Great, now I wouldn't have the courage to even look at her tomorrow. Sometimes I really wonder how I even managed to get into college.

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"_Danny? I don't understand this word._"

I leaned over the little boy's shoulder at the word he pointed to. The two of us were in the library since it made it easier to get more books. Jeremy was learning quickly, and he would always smile so big every time I complimented him on his progress. I still hadn't quite figured out what to do about Sam. Jeremy was a welcome relief from that girl taking up my every thought. I couldn't understand why, but now that I'd realized I liked Sam too, she seemed to consume me. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

"_That word is mechanical_," I signed to him.

He watched my hands as I spelled out each letter, looking back at the book to see the written word. As his reading progressed, so did his writing. I didn't even have to really teach him that. He picked up on the letters and the words from reading the books. He said he wanted to be a writer someday; evidently, I influenced this boy a lot more than I thought I would. A hand fell on my shoulder, and I glanced up to grin at Sam. She looked flushed, as if she'd run here.

"_Where's the fire?_" I asked.

She made a face. "_Running from some boy that really, really wanted to date me._"

My eyes narrowed. Another thing that had popped up when I realized I liked Sam too: a strange kind of overprotection of her. "_Yeah, well, he'll have to find someone else. You're already taken._" Sam's eyes widened, and mine did too when I realized what I'd said.

I should really think before I sign.

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_**Author's Note:**_ _I really love to torture Danny… He's so angsty! It's so much fun! Hmm, what is in store for him next, I wonder? The coolest part of this is that after putting the character's personalities in place, I basically just write how they would react to whatever. If I threw a rock at Danny, what would he do? You know, that kind of stuff. So, it's really all them._


	4. Chapter 4: Think Before You Sign

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_**Chapter 4:**_ _Think Before You Sign_

I still couldn't even think about what I had said. Luckily, Sarah had come before Sam and I could start talking—or fighting—about what I said. She didn't seem to notice how nervous either one of us were, but as soon as she was gone, I headed out of the library. It didn't matter to me if Sam followed or not, but I felt a hand grab my arm and glanced back to see Sam looking at me. Her face was clouded with confusion, but I just didn't have the self-esteem to explain myself. Pulling away from her, I hurried down the stairs. Right now, I didn't care about walking home alone. I just had to get away from Sam.

Walking home alone, however, didn't get me away from her. When I finally did reach home, a bright yellow Ferrari was parked in front of her house. I guess she never got a chance to tell me her car had finally come in. She stood leaning against it, waiting for me. I didn't know what to say to her; I couldn't even look at her. As much as I tried to pretend I didn't see her, she could see right through it. We both knew that I had seen her. I walked past her up the steps, but once again, I felt her hand on my arm.

Every fiber in my being told me to open the front door and just leave her standing there, but my heart won the battle. I slowly turned around, not even knowing what to expect. She looked sad, confused, and maybe a little hurt. Maybe she didn't mean for it to happen, but a tear escaped her beautiful lilac eyes. My eyes widened, and I panicked a bit. Had someone hurt her? She couldn't have been alone that long! I reacted instinctively, wiping the tear away.

"_What happened? What's wrong? Why are you crying?_" I had to sign it twice after remembering Sam was a beginner and couldn't read sign that well.

She raised her hands then stared at them for a moment. Her shoulders started to shake, and I didn't know if it was from suppressed tears or anger. I couldn't see her face anymore. We stood there forever it seemed, standing only a few inches apart, before Sam seemed to get herself together. "_I just wanted to know why you said that._"

Great, just my luck. Of course she wanted to know the one thing I couldn't think to answer right now. I swallowed as she looked up at me, waiting for an answer. What could I say to her? Sure, I liked her, but I didn't want to admit that just yet. Feelings of this kind weren't new to me, but they'd never been of a nature where they might actually be returned. The fear of rejection struck me hard, and I just couldn't find a way to explain what I was feeling right now.

I knew she deserved an explanation, but right now, I just couldn't give her one. I couldn't think of a single thing to sign her either. My eyes closed, and I just shook my head. I just needed some time to think. Why did she always have to rush me on decisions like this? Just like when she kissed me a few weeks earlier. She just had to know right away how I felt after the kiss. As if I even really knew myself! All of this was new to me. Her hand rested on my arm once again, and I opened my eyes to look at her. She looked up at me with that same expression, the one that said she wanted to be kissed.

Every part of me wanted to kiss her. I could feel it through every vein, down to my very soul. Very slowly, I raised my hands, and she turned her attention to them instead. "_I just need to think. Please, just let me think._"

That wasn't the answer she was expecting. I could see that from the disappointed look on her face. She tried to smile; maybe she even thought she was. Almost immediately, I regretted my decision as she released my arm and took a step back. I thought maybe she would ask for more. Right now, I could feel myself trying to will her to do so. If she did, I knew I would just admit what I really felt. Instead, she signed, "_I'll see you tomorrow. Tell your family I said hi. And let Jazz know that I'd rather not hear her analysis on this conversation._" She smiled weakly then turned and headed back to her car.

"Sam…" She glanced back to smile at me when I said her name, but she still got into her car and drove away.

With a heavy heart, I sighed then turned and headed inside. Jazz nearly fell on top of me; she always did have problems with trying to spy on me and Sam. I could only guess that she'd been trying to read our conversation through the hole on the door. She smiled at me, maybe hoping I would ask for her help, but I just signed a greeting then headed upstairs for my room. Falling down on my bed, I heaved a sigh. Why couldn't anything in my life be simple?

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Sam and I didn't talk about what I'd signed again. She drove me to school now, and I could tell from the vibrations coming from the speakers that she had music on to avoid any awkward conversation in the car. It'd be difficult to speak anyway considering she'd have to use the hands steering the car to sign back to me. Once we reached the college, there wasn't time to talk either. I would head to class, and she would either head to the library to study or head to class too.

Jeremy either didn't notice or knew better than to say anything whenever I saw him. Sam usually waited with us for half an hour to an hour depending on what time she got out of class and when Sarah did. There didn't seem much time at all for either of us to speak because Sam just dropped me off at home now. I guess she had decided to give me as much time as I needed to think, but I still felt a bit like a toy that had been dropped for a newer one. Not that I knew she had a new toy or anything… And not that I thought I was a toy either!

I scowled as I paced my room. This had been the sixth day in a row that Sam had just dropped me off right at home. As much as I hated to admit it, I actually liked her goofy little outings, and now I missed them. My family kept asking questions too. Like why she didn't stay anymore, and why I was always inside now. To get them to ease off a little, I started hanging out in the backyard studying or reading. It didn't help that every time a flash of yellow caught my eye from the street, I would look. Maybe asking for some time to think had been the wrong thing to say…

"_Your parents want me to take you out tonight_," Sam said the next day as we sat in her car.

I stared at her for a moment before realizing she was expecting a response from me. "_Okay… why?_"

Evidently, she thought that was funny because I could see her shaking, and she was smiling. "_They're tired of you moping around the house._"

My ears turned red at that. I didn't know what to say so I just said what came instinctively. "_I'm not moping._"

She just laughed again. This time, she turned on the car and headed for the college. My mind was a mess just then so I appreciated the music I couldn't hear that kept her occupied. Why did my parents have to intrude? I would've gotten the courage to talk to her again, right? Or maybe Jazz had said something to them. One thing about being twins to a girl that wanted to be a psychiatrist: she started to tap into your moods and could even read them in a way that was creepy.

We were at a stop light when she tapped my shoulder, my eyes glancing over to Sam before turning to her hands as she signed, "_Thinking on something tough?_"

I just stared at her for a second, and she pointed to my hand. Turning my gaze to it, I realized I'd been biting my nails. It was an old habit that I still continued when I was nervous. Dropping my hand into my lap, I shook my head then pointed to the light. She blushed then jumped when the person behind her honked his horn. Evidently she'd gotten so nervous that she slammed too hard on the gas; we shot forward, and I actually had to grab onto my seat for fear of flying out the back window.

When I glanced at her, I could see her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She glanced at me and managed a sheepish smile before turning her gaze back to the road. At least whoever had honked their horn was far behind. We reached the college a little later, and we both climbed out. Clouds were moving in over the mountains, clouds that looked to be threatening rain. Sam looked up at them a lot longer than I did before looking at me with a look that said, "I chose the wrong day to wear something so light." I laughed before waving to her and heading for class.

Halfway through class, my text-only phone vibrated. Thankfully, the teacher decided to give us our break at that exact moment so I opened my phone to read it. Sarah had texted to let me know that Jeremy had caught a cold and wouldn't be coming today. I wrote a quick text back telling her how I hoped he got better soon and that she should practice his reading with him. That done, I sent a quick text to Sam to let her know and to set up a meeting place. She agreed to meet me in the library.

Class ended at three, and I headed for the library. The clouds were right above us now, and thunder could be heard rumbling. My phone buzzed, and I opened it. Sam had texted me, but it didn't make any sense. It was just a jumbled bunch of letters. For a moment, I considered if I should ignore it or take it seriously. That's when I got another text from her of another set of jumbled letters. Frowning, I took off toward her classroom. The classroom was full with a whole other class. Sam's class had gotten out before mine.

I panicked, running for the library. Just in case, I kept my eyes peeled should she be anywhere else along the way. That's when I saw her. She was collapsed beside the art building; I couldn't understand why she wasn't getting up. This wasn't like her. I ignored the phone vibrating in my pocket, assuming it was from her. Dropping to my knees beside her, I lifted her up so I could see her face. She opened her eyes to look at me, mouthing my name. Her hands were shaking too badly to sign, but she managed to pull her sleeve back to show me a medical bracelet I had never noticed on her before. On the back, it said, "Type 2 Diabetes, Leukemia remission."

"_Did you take your insulin?_" I immediately signed, knowing diabetics could get really ill if they missed their shots. She nodded, and I paled. I could see from the fear in her eyes that she was telling me exactly what I thought she was trying to say. She was ill like this because she had fallen out of remission.

I didn't know what to do. For a few seconds, I froze. My brain finally snapped back into focus, and I took Sam's phone and dialed 911, putting it on speaker so she could talk to them. She was in too much pain to get her hands steady so I helped her find a pad so she could write to tell me what they'd said. The letters were shaky and sometimes garbled, but I managed to make out that the paramedics were coming and that we were to stay put.

The rain started to fall as we waited, and I held Sam close as she trembled. She was crying, and I wanted to cry too. It wasn't fair to her or to me. Grabbing tightly to my arm, she buried her face against my chest. All I could do was stroke her hair and rock gently back and forth to give her some kind of comfort. When the paramedics arrived, I had to give her up, sitting nearby and watching anxiously as they did all kinds of things before loading her up on a stretcher and wheeling her away toward the ambulance.

I followed after them, anxious to stay with her. A paramedic stopped me at the door, saying something to me. Not only could I not hear him, but his lips were moving too fast for me to read. I shook my head, looking to Sam who was trying to speak to the paramedic sitting beside her. The paramedic then pushed me back climbed in and closed the doors.

"Sam!" I cried, not caring right then how loud or odd my voice sounded. I hadn't even noticed the crowd of spectators or even the rain soaking my clothes. My entire body shook, and I didn't even know how to comprehend what had just happened. For the first time in my life, I might have fallen in love, and now she was dying.

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I ran home through the rain. My parents were shocked at my appearance, and everyone tried to sign something to me at once. "Hey!" I shouted, trying to get them to pay attention. Thankfully, their hands stilled. Jazz took my backpack off of me, but the rest of them watched and waited. "_Sam was taken to the hospital. Her leukemia came back._" And then I just started crying. I couldn't figure out how it had happened, and I couldn't stop the tears either.

My mother mouthed my name as she wrapped me in her arms. I clung to her like a child, closing my eyes as I just kept crying. Not only was I losing the one person I had fallen in love with, but I was losing the only friend I had ever managed to keep.

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I hadn't gotten to see Sam yet. Her parents had called just yesterday to say the doctors hadn't even let them visit her yet. She had asked for me though as they wheeled her away into surgery. They were taking marrow from her parents again to try and stop the leukemia before it spread too far again. I hadn't moved from my bed for two days. My mom had managed to get me into dry clothes, but I couldn't eat. My appetite had fled, and the only thing I could focus on was the last time I saw Sam and the terrified look on her face.

"_Danny_." Jazz had to kneel by my bed so I could see her hands. "_The Mansons called again. Sam's allowed visitors._" I sat up so quickly that I smacked my head against her hand. Rubbing my forehead, I watched as she signed more. "_I really don't think she'd like to see you looking like this. Eat something._"

How could I eat? I wanted to see Sam; food didn't matter. Why did they keep trying to get me to eat? I stood and walked over to my closet. There was a five-foot mirror hanging on the door, and I nearly gawked at my appearance. I looked as sick as she had that day at the college. No wonder everyone wanted me to eat; I would terrify her. I gulped down some food as Jazz signed to me the plan. Her parents had seen her for several hours now; they had decided to have their time alone with her before calling to say I could visit. I wanted to scowl at that, but I suppose it made sense.

She had asked for me again, and I could feel the heat on my cheeks as Jazz informed me of this with a smug grin on her face. Maybe now would be a bad time to tell her how I felt, but I knew if I didn't take this chance to say it now, I might never get that chance. For once in my life, I didn't know what to wear. I stood at my closet in boxers and socks with no idea what to wear. Jazz burst in after I'd been standing there for half an hour.

"Jazz!" I cried, grabbing a shirt to cover myself. "_What the hell are you doing?_"

"_Helping you dress. You're taking too damn long._" She breezed past me and snatched a shirt and pair of jeans from my closet and shoved them at me. It was a nice shirt, nicer than what I would usually wear to see Sam, but I suppose it made sense. "_There. You should look acceptable now._" She glanced up at my hair and grimaced but left the room to let me change. With a sigh, I put on the clothes she'd given to me and headed down the stairs.

My whole family was waiting for me. No one said anything as we walked out of the house and drove to the hospital. Once again, my old nervous habit came back as my thumb nail became victim to the nervousness tying up in my belly. I swallowed hard as the hospital came into view, and suddenly, I didn't want to leave the car as we parked. Jazz had to drag me out by my hand and continued dragging me.

My feet felt like lead. The elevator trip to the ICU took far too long; the hallway leading to Sam's room was far too long. My parents waited in the cafeteria with her parents. Only Jazz and Vlad accompanied me. With a wide-eyed gaze up at Jazz, I walked into Sam's room alone. She was sleeping; or maybe she was just dozing. I walked up to her bed and sat down in the chair by her bed. Her eyes opened then, and she smiled when she saw me.

"_Danny._" Her hands weren't shaking anymore, but they were still weak. "_My parents said you were coming._"

I smiled, holding her hand as she reached out for mine. I could feel my own trembling in her grasp. "_Well, I couldn't very well say no, could I? You are my best friend._"

Her smile widened when I signed that, and she squeezed my hand as best as she could in her weak state. "_The doctors say the marrow worked well. With luck, my leukemia should be back in remission._" I knew a little bit about how remission worked. A cancer patient had to go through five years of it in order to be considered cured. "_I'm worried though. They used the same marrow last time, and it didn't work. What's to say it'll work now?_"

"_Don't give up hope,_" I signed. It took longer to sign with one hand, but I didn't want to release her hand just as much as she didn't want to release mine. "_It'll be okay. You'll see._" She closed her eyes when I finished signing; maybe she was just too tired for visitors right now. I stroked her hair back from her forehead, watching her for a bit. She seemed so fragile, so unlike the aggressive, independent young woman I knew. "Sam," I whispered then gently kissed her forehead. Her eyes opened, and she smiled at me again before they drifted shut once more.

I knew then that I didn't want to tell her that I loved her in sign. I wanted to tell her in words. I wanted to see that smile on her face—the one she always got whenever I said something instead of signed it. Jazz would help me; that I didn't doubt in the least. I just needed her to stay strong for me until I learned the words. That's all I needed from her. I kissed her forehead again, but this time her eyes remained shut. She had fallen asleep.

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_**Author's Note: **__Raise your hand if you were expecting this!!! I better not see any hands raised. Hell, I didn't even expect this. My characters have run away from me, and now Sam's a diabetic and suffering from leukemia. And Danny's deaf and in love with her. Now if he can just get the courage to tell her that. Before you all review demanding all sorts of answers, I'll give you a few now. First, Sam is not going to be sick for the rest of the story. She's going to get better. We're not going to make it all the way through her remission, but she does grow stronger again._

_Secondly, I don't know if Danny is going to tell her or not in the next chapter. I do know that Danny will not remain deaf. That much I can tell you. I will not tell you how or when his hearing comes back. Thirdly, yes I know diabetes and leukemia and a deaf character are a lot to throw into one story, but I didn't decide that. It may sound weird, but the truth is that Sam had always been this way from Chapter 1 and she only just decided to reveal it to all of us. I'm as shocked as you. My plan had been for a car accident to jar them both a little and make them admit their feelings. You can see my plan was not what my characters had planned._

_**Blanket disclaimer:**__ See Chapter 1._


	5. Chapter 5 So Many Ways to Say I Love You

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**Story Alerts:** Romance and Musicals, Heero's Goddess, Azalea Poison.

_**Chapter 5:**__ So Many Ways to Say I Love You_

It was harder to learn a phrase than it was to learn one name or a simple word. More than once, Jazz had cringed when I tried to say the words. She told me I was just saying them really weird. Like "love" sounded more like "luff" when I said it. I didn't want to say "luff" though. Almost a week had passed since Sam had been hospitalized, and they'd moved her out of ICU to the normal wing. Her doctor said she was going great; the look on her face said she didn't feel so great.

We had to be careful when we visited her still. Her immune system was still weak, and any little virus could easily make her very sick. The nurses always made us wear face masks, but I didn't mind so much. I didn't use my voice to communicate with Sam. She complained that she missed my smile though. Evidently, she really liked something about my smile; I couldn't see what was so special about it. Then again, I couldn't see what Sam saw in me at all.

"_She must be into the silent types,_" Jazz had said when I asked her what Sam could possibly see in me.

I rolled my eyes as her body started shaking with laughter. "_Hilarious, really. Can we focus here? I really want to learn this phrase for her._"

Jazz just shook her head. "_Do you really think she'll care how you tell her? If she loves you too, it won't matter. You've known each other for maybe three months? I doubt she'd care if you signed it._"

"_That's why I want to _say_ it. She won't be expecting that, and it'll be that much more special for her._" Why did Jazz have to be such a logical thinker sometimes?

I got a text from Sam the next day. She was excited; the hospital had released her, and she was on her way home. "_Please come see me,_" her text said. As if I had needed anymore prodding to go see her.

Her mother was just helping her out of the car when I got there, and Mrs. Manson smiled at me. Sam looked so much paler than normal and far too thin, and she wore a scarf on her head to hide the fact that treatments had made her lose her hair. She smiled at me too, and I grasped her arm to help steady her. "_I knew you would come,_" she said, using only one hand.

"_Of course I would,_" I replied, ignoring the way my cheeks flushed. "_You're the only entertaining thing in my life._"

She giggled, shaking her head. "_I hope you haven't been ignoring poor Jeremy just because of me._"

I shook my head. "_School's out for him so his dad has him for the summer. Sarah's pretty anxious, but they write letters to her so she knows he's still getting his lessons. I sent some sign language cards to help out his dad too_."

She smiled at me. "_At least Jeremy's getting the help he needs._"

I helped her walk to the front door, grinning suddenly. "_So, do I still have to wear those stupid masks, or will I not kill you with a cold anymore?_"

She rolled her eyes. "_Do you really think they would have released me if I were still in danger?_" I just shrugged, still grinning as I led her inside once Mr. Manson had opened the front door for us. "_So how long do you get to stay?_"

I realized I hadn't thought to ask my parents about that. "_Uh, I don't know. I just told my parents I was going over to your place. I didn't say how long I would be gone, and they didn't ask._"

"_You could have asked._" She tugged me toward the stairs leading to the basement.

I'd only been to the Manson's a few times, but I knew what was lurking down in that basement: a huge theatre screen with a projector and everything. It even came with its own snacks. If a movie wasn't the plan, there was a button to slide the screen up, and the place became a bowling lane. Glancing at the stairs then back at her, I gave her a dubious look. I didn't think I could help her down those stairs without having us both fall down them.

"_Come on, it's not that far._" She grinned at me. I just rolled my eyes then picked her up, cradling her in my arms. Her eyes were wide, and I was sure her heartbeat had probably upped ten beats. "_Danny, what are you doing?_"

As if I could sign while I was holding her. I just stuck my tongue out her then headed slowly down the stairs. It was much easier to get down the stairs holding her than it would have been to help her down them.

She didn't sign again, and I set her down gently in one of the theatre chairs before signing to her, "_It was easier and safer that way._"

Jazz had to be right about how Sam felt for me because the blush on her cheeks never went away after that incident.

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With school out for the summer, I spent a lot of time with Sam. Sometimes we hung out at her place, and sometimes we would go elsewhere like the park or somewhere else where we could just sit and sign to each other. She had a lot of checkups at the hospital and treatments once a month. I hated it when she had to go for treatments. She was always so weak and tired after them. Barely able to walk back out to the limo waiting for us, I often had to carry her. She didn't really say anything anymore after the first time; sometimes she was too tired to even notice. Once she even fell asleep in my arms.

I felt like I should've died of embarrassment when Sam fell asleep in my arms. The limo driver had this huge grin on his face, and I'll bet he was laughing till I shot him a dirty look. He went back to professionalism real quick. Mr. and Mrs. Manson didn't really seem to notice, not that they knew enough sign to tell me anything anyway. Mrs. Manson would smile every time we got back in the limo whether I carried her or not so it was difficult to figure out what she would think if Sam and I ended up as something more.

The Manson's were much like any other rich family, and this I hadn't really noticed until I spent almost a daily basis in their mansion. Except for Friday and Sunday, The Manson parents went to social functions and business meetings. From what Sam was willing to say about them, she'd also been required to attend since she turned eighteen. It was only her new bout of leukemia that gave her the ability to skip out. At least she felt there was one good side to this. I could see nothing but bad.

"_It's getting better,_" Sam informed me. "_The doctors say my treatments are almost over. My body's been responding well to them, and I should be back in remission in another month._"

One month left. Then she wouldn't have to go to those appointments that always made her so sleepy. She would be healthy again. Or as healthy as she could be with leukemia lurking in her system. And her hair would get the chance to grow back. She always wore that scarf around me, even though she would complain it made her hot. I guess she thought the fact that she was bald would make me think she was repulsive. I could have cared less as long as it meant her treatments were working.

We were watching a movie in the den, one of Sam's favorites. I never could remember the title, but it had people being haunted by ghosts and stuff. I couldn't see the appeal; ghosts were something I wasn't really into. Not that I was afraid of them! Heaving a sigh, I glanced over at Sam to see if she was enjoying the movie. We'd watched it three times this past week. I did not expect to see her passed out beside me, and I did not expect her to snuggle closer when I moved so I could take her upstairs to her room.

I slowly pushed the scarf away from her face, smiling as she stirred a little from the soft touch of my fingers. "Sam," I whispered softly. She didn't move that time, and I leaned down and kissed her forehead. If only she knew just how much I loved her. But I would get the chance to tell her sometime soon.

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"_Okay, try it again._"

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I love you."

Jazz's shoulders started shaking then she fell over shaking uncontrollably with laughter. We were sitting on the floor up in my room, still working on that damn phrase. I blew out a breath, arms crossing over my chest as I glared at her.

"_I'm sorry, Danny,_" she managed to sign to me as she continued to laugh. "_It's just so funny to hear you say luff instead._"

I scowled. Why was that one word so fucking hard to say? "_Yeah, well, it's easy for you. You're not retarded._"

That got her to stop laughing, and she scowled too. "_Danny, you are not retarded! Just because you're deaf doesn't mean—_"

"_Then stop laughing at me! It's easy for you to say things because you've had your hearing all your life. It's much more difficult for someone who lost their hearing at 4 when then last time they said 'love' was when it was cute to say 'luff' instead!_" I shot to my feet with a growl, stalking out of the room.

Jazz wasn't the real reason I was frustrated, of course. As each day passed, Sam got closer and closer to the day when the doctor would state she was in remission. I wanted to tell her how I felt on that same day; things just weren't working out that way with my stupid 4-year-old handicap. Sitting on the couch, I covered my ears with my hands and closed my eyes. Why hadn't temporary been as temporary as the doctors hoped?

A hand was set gently on my shoulder, and I looked up to see Vlad standing beside me. He smiled kindly then sat down beside me. "_What's the matter, Daniel?_"

I heaved a sigh, lowering my hands from my ears. "_Why haven't I gained my hearing back yet? The doctors said temporary. I've gone through four specialists and none of them can understand why I haven't gotten my hearing back yet. They say everything has healed since the accident. Why?_"

"_Things happen for a reason, son. It may just not be your time to have your hearing back yet. Just think of all the good that has happened since you lost your hearing._" I stared at him as if he'd grown another head. What good had happened? His smile didn't waver. "_You haven't noticed? Daniel, when the accident happened, your family was close to falling apart. It was for your sake that your parents remained together. It was because of that they realized they still loved each other just as deeply. Jazmine has worked so hard because she sees you. You have done amazing things even with your handicap, and she feels so ordinary compared to you. Even you have gotten some good out of it. Were it not for your handicap, you never would have met that nice young woman, Samantha, and you never would have found a purpose for your life._"

Damn, he was right. I could remember the arguments when I was little—vaguely, but they were there. Those arguments had been the reason I'd wanted so badly to grow up so fast. If I were older, I could help my parents—that's what I had been thinking. As far as the thing with Jazz, why would she want to try and beat me? She already had. Her grades were straight A's; I was lucky if all of my classes were B's. But then I realized what Vlad had been trying to say. The same effort I put to get those B's by going to a regular university, Jazz was getting A's for by going to the same university. We both studied the same amount, but concepts were harder for me to grasp without hearing.

And what he'd said about Sam… He was right there too. Sam and I never would've met, and she never would've helped me realize I could be a normal person even without my hearing. Without her, I would be dead right now. Jeremy would still be unable to read or write or say a single word. I had caused a lot of good with my accident. I just wished now I could be touched by some of that good by getting my hearing back.

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"_There are other ways you could say what you feel_," my mother said when I asked for her help. "_Those three words aren't the only way._"

I heaved a sigh. Why was everyone trying to get me to say it some other way? "_I want to do it this way because I know it would be special. She knows I can't say many words so I want to surprise her with this._"

She smiled at me, shaking her head. "_Who would have thought the little boy I raised that swore he would always think girls were 'icky' would now be trying to surprise one?_"

My cheeks heated up, and I ducked my head, scuffing my toe against the floor. "_Come on, Mom. You're embarrassing me. I just needed to know if you would help me._"

"_Sweetie, she'll love it even if you say 'luff' instead of 'love'. You don't need any more help._" She smiled at me even as I scowled at her. Why couldn't anyone understand that I didn't want to say "luff"?

Sam invited me over that same day. According to her, she needed a huge celebration when her final treatment finished, and I was needed to help plan it. I didn't even know Sam had friends much less what they would like in a party. "_It's only a couple of people,_" she explained. "_I don't many people anyway. Just Valerie, Tucker, and Jessica and Rebecca might show up._"

My brows raised on instinct. Only one guy friend? "_Tucker? Who's that?_"

The smirk on her face made my cheeks flush. "_Don't tell me you're jealous, Daniel Fenton._"

I let out a huff. "_Jealous? Of course not. He sounds like a geek. I was just wondering who could have a name like that is all._"

She shook her head, that smile still in place. "_He is a geek. He's big on technology. He's got this PDA that he can't stand to be away from._"

I snorted. "_Told you. How'd you manage to become friends with him if he's such a techno-geek?_"

"_Connections with my parents' friends made him instantly attracted, and I needed his help on some math. After that, it just sort of graduated to a friendship._" She grinned a bit. "_Besides, he's not my type._"

What could make her think I was really interested in her "type"? Could I be that transparent? "_I didn't want to know, and I didn't ask._" I rolled my eyes as her shoulders shook with laughter and decided to return the conversation to the matter at hand. "_So what kind of planning do we need to do for four people? Two of which may or may not show up._"

A flick of her wrist, and a roll of her eyes showed me I hadn't really been invited to plan that party. "_We're just going to serve pizza and soda, and people can watch movies in my home theatre. I had to give some kind of reason because my parents were lurking over my shoulder and teasing me about you. They kept saying, 'You always have him over for no reason. When is he going to make a move?' It gets annoying after a while._" She started looking through the catalog of videos on her lap, trying to make a selection for us.

I knew exactly what she meant. But I also couldn't help wondering that myself. When _would_ I get the courage to make a move? I was twenty-one years old; I certainly wouldn't be getting any younger, and making relationships would only get harder as I got older. "Sam." She looked up at me as I said her name. "I—"

The doorbell must have rung or someone called her name because she turned her head away suddenly, looking upstairs. Her parents came downstairs carrying pizza boxes and soda. She always ordered pizza for us, but today was just really bad timing. I had almost told her right then and there. Even with the fact that I said "luff" instead of "love", I didn't care. I had wanted to tell her. And the damn _pizza_ had to interrupt me. I mean really; what the hell?

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**Author's Note:** _So, there you go, my little readers. Some more fun stuff to look for. Mwahahaha. I love tormenting poor Danny. Interrupted by pizza! Priceless…_

**Blanket Disclaimer:** _See bottom of Chapter 1…_


	6. Chapter 6: Words Can Be Enough

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**Story Alerts:** Muirnin, starr1095, xRavenwing, okami15192.

_**Chapter 6: **__Words Can Be Enough_

Sam wore a wig for her party. It was October, but it was nowhere near Halloween yet. But there Sam stood in her basement dressed like a witch. Damn, she really looked adorable too. Her socks went up to her knees and were striped with lime green and black; they didn't even reach the skirt she wore. My mouth went dry as I kept staring at her, and I had to look away. Why did she have to dress like that?

Heaving a sigh, I glanced around the room. Tucker happened to be an African-American, and he'd brought along the prized PDA. Right now, he was plugged into a computer station hidden in a corner in the basement. Something told me Sam had put that there specifically to keep him entertained. He seemed to be muttering to himself; or maybe he thought someone was standing there as entertained as he was. I did remember seeing Valerie standing by him only to yawn then wander off.

The girls were standing on the other side of the room talking. Sam must've mentioned my condition, of that I was sure, but one of them kept staring at me with this smile on her face. I think Sam had introduced her as Jessica. Valerie was also African-American and really into ghosts. She carried her backpack to the party, and I caught a glimpse of a weapon with "Plasmius Industries" written on the side.

Jessica was Hispanic with black hair and big brown eyes. According to Sam, I would really like Jessica. I wasn't sure how exactly. Rebecca was the exact opposite of Sam to the point of being almost scary. Where Sam had black hair, Rebecca had white-blonde. Sam had lilac eyes; Rebecca had blue eyes. Rebecca was into romantic things like roses and love songs and romantic movies. Sam liked flowers died black or dark purple and death metal and horror films. How on earth had the two of them even become friends?

Sam was blushing, Rebecca and Jessica were laughing, and Valerie looked dubious. From the way Jessica had been looking at me earlier, I had a feeling I was the topic of conversation. Why did girls find me so attractive even after knowing I couldn't hear? Heaving a sigh, I headed up the stairs to find some more pizza. Jessica followed me, oddly enough, and she kept giving me sidelong glances and smiling at me when I looked over at her. I really needed to get away from this girl.

I headed back down the stairs, my appetite having fled at Jessica's weird attraction to me. Valerie and Rebecca were still where they had been, but Sam… I stopped on the steps, my jaw dropping open. Tucker was back over by the computer station, and so was Sam. They were hugging, and to my surprise, I saw Tucker turn his head to kiss her. Furious, I turned and headed back up the stairs, nearly shoving Jessica over who had followed me down. Could I really have been that stupid? I had thought she loved me, but I guess I was wrong.

There was a ringing in my ears as I stalked outside, hands stuffed in my pockets. How could I have misinterpreted all the signals? Were girls really that complicated? I felt like a fool now; all that practice had gone to waste, and I still couldn't even say "love" right. Not that it mattered now. A hand touched my shoulder, and I jerked around to glare at whoever it was.

It was Sam, and she looked surprised. "_Why did you leave? Jessica said you were mad._"

What did I tell her? That I saw her kissing on the guy she had said was not her type? It wasn't any of my business who she kissed anyway. Even if she had kissed me before, it didn't mean she liked me. Obviously Tucker had been more of her type than she cared to admit to me. She must've seen I had a crush on her; she must've not wanted to hurt my feelings.

"_It's nothing. I'm fine. I just wanted to get some air._" I turned away, but she grabbed my arm, pulling me back to look at her.

"_Danny, come on. I know you better than that. What happened? It wasn't Jessica, was it?_"

I rolled my eyes. Like I could care about that Latina princess! "_No, it's not Jessica. I just needed to get some air._"

"_Danny—"_

I growled, jerking my arm away from her as she tried to tug me back toward the house. "_Don't you get it? I saw Tucker kiss you! I get it, okay? It's just that I thought…_" Swallowing hard, I looked up at her and whispered, "I love you…"

She stood rooted to the ground as if I'd turned her to stone. I knew I should've learned to say "love" properly. Wiping the back of my hand against my eyes that suddenly stung, I went to turn and walk away again. Once again, her fingers curled around my arm. I thought maybe she had more to say. Instead, she suddenly leaned forward, and before I could react, she'd thrown her arms about my neck, pulled my face down to hers and kissed me.

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There's something about finally saying what you've wanted to say that makes everything else seem to slip away. I couldn't remember when Sam's party ended; I couldn't remember saying goodbye to any of the guests anyway. All I could remember was the feel of Sam's lips against mine and the way she fit so perfectly in my arms, sitting in my lap. Maybe I should've been more attentive of Sam's guests. After all, they were excited she was done with treatment too. But who was I kidding? There was no way I could care about those guys when I'd finally told Sam what I'd been trying to say for two months now.

School started again only two weeks later. I could always expect to see a yellow Ferrari outside my house now when I was ready to go to school. Her hair had started growing out, and now she had a short, cute cut and didn't have to worry about the head scarves. I liked to run my fingers through her hair, even as short as it was, because it was so soft. There was definitely something to be said for hair that grew back in after something like Sam's treatments. Hair didn't get that soft by shampooing either. Baby hair was just soft that way.

We took our relationship slowly. Holding hands, kissing, and dating was acceptable, but we didn't want to move too fast. That was mainly my decision. I didn't want to push her farther than she wanted to go, and I knew if I asked for something, even if she weren't ready for it she would give it to me. Neither of us were ready for anything beyond kissing anyway. But I didn't know what it was about knowing she was my girlfriend now that really made her breasts seem magnetic. It was like now that I knew they were mine, I just had to touch them. For both our sakes, I resisted that urge, but I would blush like a cherry when Sam would sometimes catch me looking at them. They hadn't been this hard to resist before the kiss that started everything!

I couldn't believe it when Sam laughed after I confessed my sudden obsession with her breasts. She laughed even harder when I started pouting. At least I hadn't managed to creep her out. Her kisses were still just as addicting as ever, and if she ever caught me between classes for a quick make-out session, I would always end up late for class. I didn't know how one young woman could hold so much power over my brain's ability to keep time, but she did. My brain always seemed to go into overload around her.

Our first date was tonight. My first mistake of today had been to tell Jazz. She'd immediately gone into "big sister" mode and insisted helping me get ready. I had thought maybe she meant at like six since we were leaving at seven, but she dragged me into my bedroom at three, and I couldn't escape. From picking out my outfit to chasing me around the room with scissors demanding I needed a haircut, Jazz became my worst nightmare. Sam liked my hair, and even if I did need a haircut, Jazz sure as hell was not going to be the one to administer it. I finally shoved her out of the room at six so I could grab a shower and get dressed.

The clock on my wall read exactly seven when I finished pulling on my shoes. Glancing at my reflection in my mirror and grimacing a bit out of excited anxiety, I headed down the stairs. Sam was already sitting in the living room waiting for me, chatting with Vlad. I couldn't help staring at her; she looked gorgeous. Never had I seen Sam dress so nicely, but even what she wore was not as fancy as I'd seen her parents leave in. She smiled when she saw me before turning to Vlad to say goodbye.

Her casual evening gown hugged her body in places I wished it wouldn't. The v-neck left little to the imagination—I wondered how she'd even managed to hide her bra—leading up to straps that tied behind her neck. She looked gorgeous in deep purple was all I tried to wrap my mind around for now, knowing the thought of her naked back and what I could see of her breasts would drive me wild. She wore black thongs on her feet, carried a little black clutch, and had accessorized with a black cross choker and matching earrings.

"_Wow_," was all I could manage to get across for a moment. "_Where did Sam go?_" I asked with a light grin.

She playfully punched my arm before taking my offered arm and following me out. I glanced back to wave at Jazz and Vlad waiting in the living room. Jazz gave me a thumbs-up, and Vlad just smiled at me. Outside waited a black limo; Sam and I had discussed taking the limo instead because of the high school home coming going on right now. It'd be easier to hide a limo on the streets than a bright yellow Ferrari. Sam did not want to be stared at on our first date. The driver had us to the restaurant in no time, and I helped Sam out of the limo and led her inside.

Being deaf can be very hard when going out on a date, I realized. Sam had to ask for a table because I obviously couldn't, and I had to sign my order to Sam who then translated it to the waitress. I didn't really mind until I saw the pitying looks I got from other customers and from the waitress. Could people really be that nosey?

"_Danny,_" Sam reached out, grasping my hand with one of hers, "_ignore them. They're not important._"

I knew she was right, but I couldn't help it; I wanted so much to just scream at them all to fuck off and leave me alone. One old couple came up and gave me a twenty-dollar bill. My ears had gotten so hot, I thought they might pop off my head. "_Now I remember why I hardly went anywhere,_" I responded to Sam. "_The looks were bad when I was a kid. They're worse now._"

She smiled at me. "_Do any of them really matter all that much? Are they the ones that decide what you can and cannot do? So, they stare. I got stares too._"

Damn it, she always had to make so much sense. I fidgeted uncomfortably in my seat. "_That's different though… You have something that could kill you. People don't die from being deaf._" Then I thought about it for a second. "_Well, they could if they didn't feel the vibrations from the car coming…_"

Her shoulders shook from laughter at my small joke. "_You know what I mean though. It's in human nature to pity those less fortunate. My parents and their business buddies are always speaking so pityingly of the charities they give money to. It's just something that comes natural. Just ignore it._" She gave me a little kiss after that.

That was more than enough to bring my mood up right away. It didn't help that I got a very nice view of her chest when she leaned over the table to kiss me too. Wow… More than I had ever seen of any female in my entire life. Maybe she noticed how bright red my face had gotten, because she shook with laughter again before turning her attention to the waitress who had brought out our food. This was the best day of my life so far.

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I sat fidgeting on the chair as Sam stood behind me, a dye bottle wielded in her right hand. What was it about her that made me agree to weird things like this? The young woman with jet black hair had complained that my hair was far too dark for me now. So, somehow, I had been dragged down to the beauty store and asked to pick out a color I wanted my hair to be streaked with. I had never thought about dying my hair, but I picked out neon blue and lime green. So, now I sat in a chair in Sam's huge bathroom while she bleached portions of my hair to then be dyed blue or green.

"Sam, _are you sure you know what you're doing?_" I asked, feeling uncomfortable about how my hair might come out.

She paused only to sign back to me. "_Of course I do! You honestly think all I did to rebel against these weird parents I have is just to wear dark clothing? I've had red hair, green hair, and orange hair. No hair color escaped me. Except pink and blonde._"

I couldn't help chuckling at that. One thing was certain: I had never seen Sam in pink, and she loathed most blondes. Except Rebecca for some odd reason. For the rest of the afternoon, I held still as Sam went through bleaching streaks in my hair then dying them in the blue or green. When she finished, I had to admit it really did look good. Of course, what would my parents think? Guess I should've texted them about it first, but I was an adult. They wouldn't care all that much.

How wrong I was when I got home a few hours later. "_Danny! What on earth did you do to your hair?_" my mother asked. My dad just stared at me, and Jazz was laughing behind them.

I reached up, running my fingers through my new hair. "_Sam dyed it for me. I think it really looked good myself._"

My mother shook her head, pinching her nose. "_Daniel Fenton, couldn't you have at least warned me?_"

"_I'm sorry, Mom. I just figured I'm an adult and could do what I wanted to my hair._"

She stepped forward, resting her hands on my shoulders and gazing into my eyes. "I worry about you," she mouthed.

"_Come on, Mom_," I said as my cheeks heated up. "_I'm just starting to figure things out. That's all._"

"_Just be careful. Please, warn me before you get any tattoos or piercings at least._"

I grinned. "_Now that you mention it…_" I laughed as she playfully pinched my nose. "_Love you too, Mom._"

My next date with Sam was at the park. Neither of us really cared to go anywhere big this time around. Her parents had extended an invitation to me to join them at the next business function they were holding, and we were both dreading it. I was told I had to wear a tuxedo, and Sam grimaced every time she thought about having to wear a formal dress. No matter how many times I tried to tell her she'd still look beautiful to me, she kept arguing her mother had picked out the dress and wouldn't let her see it. I could see why since her mother had told me she'd taken scissors to the dress and made it something completely different from what it had once been.

It didn't surprise me at all that Mrs. Manson didn't want Sam to see the dress this time. I had seen it though; Mrs. Manson had insisted on it so that my tie and handkerchief would match. That was all I was required to buy. The Mansons had taken care of everything else. For once, Mrs. Manson had gotten something that was totally Sam's style. And it was in a gorgeous deep red.

"_Sam, it'll be okay,_" I reminded her. "_I'm going with you this time, remember?_"

She grinned at that. "_That's true. I'll get to show off my handsome boyfriend._" She ran her fingers through my hair, biting her lip. "_We're going to have to get you some temporary black dye._"

I'd almost forgotten about them. They'd simply become part of my wardrobe now. "_Damn, that's right. I suppose they won't go with my tux, will they?_"

Her body shook with laughter, and I grinned at her, squeezing her sides. She squirmed then snuggled against me. My cheeks pinkened, and I wrapped my arms about her. I could never get over the fact that she fit so perfectly in my arms. She especially looked so much better now that her treatments were over too. Her eyes were brighter, she had gained some weight, and she wasn't as pale as she had been. I liked seeing her healthy like this; seeing her ill like that was something I never wanted to see again.

"Sam," I whispered as softly against her ear as I could, "I love you."

She glanced up at me, smiling softly. "_I love you too,_" she signed then drew a heart in the dirt in front of her. Inside of it, she put our initials then looked up at me with that smile once more.

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**Author's Note:** _I love the fluff! Anyway, next chapter will be a year later! Hehehe… Just a little tidbit for you to look forward to. This chapter was very cute though. Took me forever to think of a way to write the last of it. Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Also, it's always really cool to see people who "story alert" my story write reviews too. So, if you're on the "story alert" list but not the review list, a little review from you would be awesome. I love to hear from my readers._

**Blanket disclaimer:** _See Chapter 1._


	7. Chapter 7: When Forever Comes

**Reviews:** Jaylein-Skyler, VampGrl1234, xolovebirdox, starr1095, Samantha-Girl-Scout, Double I 4 My Guyz, draco-rex, love-toushi.

**Story Alerts:** Penguin Lord0029.

_**Chapter 7: **__When Forever Comes_

One year had passed to the day since we had gotten together. We had gone very little farther than kissing during our relationship; we both agreed we wanted to wait for our wedding to do anything further. Sam's condition had only improved, the doctor's said. I loved how strong my little Goth bird was getting. Where would I be without her?

After a long discussion with my parents several months ago, I had moved out. The Manson's had taken me on as a substitute teacher at a school they were holding a charity for. I never would've pegged them as people to support a deaf elementary school. Jeremy started going to that school after he returned from his dads. He was so shocked when I came in one day to sub for his teacher. These teachers took a lot of sick days considering the emotional environment.

The best part about all of this was, of course, the fact that I now lived on my own and supported myself with a job. Granted, the Manson's had chipped in to get me into the place to begin with, but I had insisted on paying them back. Somehow, the money I paid them back with always ended up back with me anyway though; they bought me clothes, furniture, a computer, and even tried to buy me a car. I'd put my foot down on that one. What the hell did I need a car for anyway?

But the greatest part about being on my own was that Sam could come over at any time of day or night and even spend the night if she wanted to. We still never went far beyond a little bit of touching and a nice make-out session, but I got to hold her in my arms as she fell asleep too.

"_I wouldn't trade any of this for the world,_" I signed to Sam, smiling as she snuggled closer to me.

"_Me neither,_" she agreed before leaning forward to kiss me lightly on the lips. "_Who would've thought behind all of that blind hostility would be a big snuggler who would fall for me?_" she teased.

I rolled my eyes, pinching her ass. She jerked at that, and her eyes widened before narrowing as she sat up and immediately began her revenge. Her revenge was always very sweet, but it did always leave me very turned on with no relief. Rolling over to pin her so she couldn't continue her revenge, I grinned as she objected in sign, telling me to get off of her. Evidently I was a lot heavier than I looked.

"_No, I need to make sure you don't run away just yet._" I reached over to my nightstand, pulling the drawer open and taking out the ring box I'd hidden away deep down in the drawer. Sam never had a problem going through my things whether I wanted her to or not.

Her eyes widened as I slowly moved off of her just enough so I was kneeling between her legs. There were tears sparkling in her eyes as she signed, "_Danny, are you—_"

I shook my head, refusing to let her finish. "_I'm going to do this properly, Sam, so wait._" I opened the ring box, smiling as her face only seemed to melt into adoration all the more. Who would have thought my little lilac-eyed princess would fall for something like a simple sapphire in a white-gold band? Leaning forward again, I gazed into her eyes. "_Samantha Manson, will you marry me?_" I don't think she even watched me sign the whole question.

She had already been nodding when I opened the ring box, and when I asked, she started to cry before throwing her arms about my neck and nearly crushing me in her breasts. I didn't really mind all that much; it was the closest I'd ever been to her breasts even with the light touching we'd done. Taking the ring out of the box, I set it aside and slipped the ring on her finger, smiling as she tried to brush her tears away.

"_I haven't cried in a while,_" she complained. "_Leave it to you to figure out a way to make me cry._"

I laughed, rolling off of her and holding her tightly against me. As if seeing her cry had been the only point of my proposal. "I love you, Sam," I whispered. "_Always and forever…_"

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Neither of us were prepared for wedding planning, we realized as we stepped into a bridal shop. Sam's eyes nearly popped out of her skull at the sight of all the white dresses. I had to drag her over to the bride's maids dresses so she would stop hyperventilating. "_So much white,_" she signed to me, shuddering.

I laughed a little. "_Most women want a white wedding dress._"

She gagged. "_Why? So many women do white! Why not do something different? Ew…_"

I couldn't help laughing even harder, even though several bridal consultants and customers had started to stare. "_Relax, Sam. No one's trying to stuff you into a white dress._"

Glancing over at one of the bridal consultants, she shook her head. "_She might try._"

I rolled my eyes. "_Let's go somewhere else then._"

She shook her head. "_Not yet. This would be good to pick out the colors at least._" She had her eye on the bride's maids dresses, and I let her circle the racks. "_What do you think of black, dark purple, and red?_" she asked.

"_I get an opinion?_" I teased. She playfully punched my arm, making me grin. "_It's your wedding, Sammy. I'm just the accessory that comes with the ring._"

"_And a very cute accessory you are too._" She kissed me lightly on the lips, smiling up at me. "_You should go look in the tux area and start planning._"

That got me a little nervous. It was one thing to go to a bridal store with her; it was an entirely different situation to separate from her and try to communicate on my own with a consultant to get my tux. "_Um, I don't know how well that would work considering…_"

"_Come on, Danny. Just go look, and if someone approaches you, you can easily write down what you want or need help with._"

Now I knew why it was so much easier to work at a school for deaf children. Grudgingly, I let Sam point me in the direction of the tux area, walking over. For a while, I was allowed to peruse at my own convenience. There were ties, vests, handkerchiefs, and even shirts that came in the multiple colors to fit the bride's color scheme. There were white tuxedo coats and black ones, and there were white slacks and black ones. There were even white shoes to go with the white tuxedos. At least I knew white was definitely a no.

Looking through the different items, I decided Sam would probably go for a white button-up shirt for the tuxedos. I tried the black button-up with the black jacket, and it really did not look good. Pairing up the tuxedo with the deep purple vest, a black tie, and a deep purple handkerchief looked amazing though. Even with the white button-up shirt. A consultant came up then, and I managed to get from his lips that he was asking if I'd like to try it on.

Shaking my head, I pointed to my ear then made a motion like I was writing. He understood immediately, and to my great surprise, he smiled and signed, "_Would you like to try it on?_"

I was so shocked, I couldn't even respond to that. Instead, I signed, "_How do you know sign language?_"

His shoulders shook with laughter at that, and he replied, "_My little sister was born deaf. I learned early, while she was still a baby. She learned from me and was signing full sentences by the time the other babies were speaking their first word. Back to the tux, though. I saw you walk in with that beautiful Goth young woman. If you'd like to try on the tuxedo, you can make a better choice._"

While still floored by his story, I did manage to turn my attention back to the matter at hand. "_Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt. I won't be ordering anything today just yet. She hasn't even set a date._"

"_Not a problem. This way you can decide which really does look better._"

Evidently he'd seen me trying the black button-up and the white button-up because he picked up one of each in a size that I'm guessing he chose just by looking at me. He also snatched up a tuxedo coat, the vest, the tie, the handkerchief, and the slack without taking a single measurement. This guy glanced at my feet then grabbed a pair of shoes before leading me to the dressing rooms.

Sam waved at me from her end of the store, flashing me a thumbs-up when she saw the guy with me. He hung everything up in a dressing room and stepped back so I could enter. I closed the door behind me then stared at everything hanging up for me. Taking a deep breath, I undressed then figured my way into the tuxedo gear. I tried the black button-up first, astonished at how nice it actually did look with the red accessories. I was actually grateful the man had grabbed a white tie as well as the black one because the white tie was just enough to make the whole outfit work.

I stepped out, and the man was waiting for me. "_You see? It's hard to decide when you only see it on the hanger. It's always best to make a decision when you see it on yourself. What do you think?_" He motioned to the three-mirror stand-up at the end of the dressing room area, and I stepped up, looking at myself from the different angles.

"_I have to admit, the black shirt does look better,_" I agreed. "_Thank you._" I went back into the dressing room and returned to my street clothes.

The man was ready to take the items back to the tuxedo area, and he gave me his card as well, saying I should ask for him specifically when I come to order the tuxedo. Sam was waiting for me at the front, holding several pamphlets including one for gothic wedding dresses. I had to wonder where this store was hiding such dresses then figured perhaps they just ordered them from the catalog for their gothic customers to try on.

"_Well, that was fun!_" Sam said, smiling at me. "_Ready for lunch?_"

I nodded before stepping closer to her and taking her hand in mine. "_Next time, let's set a date before we come back,_" I said, sticking my tongue out at her.

"_Hey,_ _you did just propose a month ago. A date hasn't quite made its way into my mind just yet._"

"_Well, I hope it does soon. Unless you want to be engaged for a year too?_"

She made a face at that. "_Ugh, no. One year was more than enough for me, thank you. I just want to have you forever now._"

That got me right there. When I proposed, I knew I would get to keep her when we got married, but forever had never crossed my mind. She would be mine forever, and that really meant a lot to me. It had really never hit me that she would be mine for as long as we both lived. A grin crossed my lips, and I was startled out of my thoughts when Sam waved her hand in front of my face.

"_Earth to Danny, come in Danny,_" she teasingly signed as I looked at her. I stuck my tongue out at her even as my cheeks heated up. "_What were you thinking about? You got this cute look on your face._"

My cheeks heated up even more as I tried to think of a way to say what I'd been thinking. "_Just forever with you. It hadn't really hit me until you mentioned it that I actually will get to keep you for that long._"

She smiled, squeezing my hand and resting her head against my arm. "_Forever and ever,_" she replied.

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October 31st seemed to come far too soon for me. Sam had chosen the date; six months after I proposed, we were getting married. I was standing at the window in a guest room at the Manson's. They'd begged us to get married at the mansion. Sam had agreed because it had the gothic feel she'd been looking for. People had been flooding into the house since seven this morning. The Manson's had spared no expense on their only daughter's wedding, and a special florist had been hired to make the arches of purple and black roses.

There were two arches of such flowers creating a type of gazebo up at the altar, and there was one above the back doors Sam would be walking out of. I hadn't even seen the dress she'd picked just yet. Mrs. Manson had insisted I not see it till Sam walked out in it. Sam had decided on red being the main color so my accessories were in red except for the tie that was in the white like I'd tried on at the bridal store. My best man wore similar accessories with a red tie instead. Considering I had no friends, Tucker was my best man, and Vlad was one grooms man while Jazz's boyfriend was the other. Jazz played as Sam's maid of honor wearing all red. I had seen the bride's maids dresses; they were gorgeous, but gothic—Jazz had fainted on seeing hers.

Heaving a sigh, I turned away from the window where preparations were being made and focused on fixing my tie in the mirror. Tucker and Vlad were already dressed. The wedding was in an hour. "_Don't be so nervous_," Vlad said as I straightened my tie for the sixth time that day. "_It looks fine. Get your coat on now._"

I just couldn't help wondering, even now, what she could see in me that would make her want to marry me. "_I don't know if I can do this,_" I signed. "_What if she changed her mind, and I'm standing up there like an idiot for an hour?_"

Evidently, Tucker had asked what I said because I saw Vlad repeating it to him. Tucker gave me a droll look then proceeded to tap out a long response in his PDA before showing it to me. "She is not going to change her mind. She loves you. If she were going to change her mind, she would have done it way before this. Trust me, I've known her longer. Ask Jessica or Rebecca if you don't believe me."

Yeah, like I wanted to go _near_ Jessica. That girl still gave me those flirty looks, which Sam said had brought some tension to their relationship. "_Okay, okay. I trust you. I guess we'll go stand out there now._"

Vlad kept a hand on my shoulder as we walked downstairs then headed outside. Guests were starting to file in now; I saw my parents sitting up front, and there were family members sitting in the aisles that I hadn't seen in years. The Manson's had tried to invite as much of my family as possible considering the bride's side would be holding so many people. Sam's marriage to me was very popular with the Manson's business associates, and many of them had been invited. Some showed up anyway.

I tripped over my own feet as Vlad led me around the chairs set up for the guests and up toward the steps. For once, I was grateful I couldn't hear the little giggles that would escape people from my near-fall. Up at the altar stood the pastor, and next to him stood the translator for me. We had tried practicing without one. The pastor couldn't get the hang of speaking slow enough for me to read his lips. We'd decided to forgo the usual vows considering I couldn't repeat after anyone in my condition.

Sam and I had decided to exchange personal vows later at our honeymoon. I was planning to surprise her by saying "I do" instead of signing it. Now, I worried about so many people hearing my harsh, awkward voice. I just had to keep reminding myself that Sam was what mattered. No one else mattered on this day, just me and Sam.

I tried to look anywhere other than the door that I was praying Sam would appear out of any minute now. A watch had not been permitted with my tuxedo so I had no idea what time it was. It felt like an hour had passed to me. For all I knew, it could've been only five minutes. I was staring up at the sky when Vlad tapped my shoulder. Vibrations in the stage told me the music had begun, floating out gently from the speakers on the stage. At least, I supposed it floated out gently. I didn't even know what music had been chosen.

One of Sam's littlest cousins came out carrying a basket of flowers, throwing them down the aisle. Beside her walked the ring bearer, carrying his little red pillow and wearing an outfit to match mine. My groomsmen had purple accessories except for Tucker as best man. When the children reached the halfway mark, Jazz appeared from the doorway. Her boyfriend was a lucky man because she really looked gorgeous. I glanced over at Aaron to find his jaw had dropped and couldn't help the grin that crossed my lips. At least Aaron liked her gothic dress.

Jessica and Rebecca walked down the aisle together. They wore matching dark purple gothic dresses, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as Jessica smiled and winked at me. I couldn't wait for Sam to put that girl in her place. The vibrations in the stage changed as the music did; the rhythm matched a song I had felt Sam listening to before. She never did tell me what that song was called. Swallowing hard, I glanced around the crowd as everyone began to stand.

Seconds passed then a vision of heaven emerged from the doorway. My lips parted, and I whispered her name. She looked gorgeous. The dress was red, designed to mimic the old Southern ball gown style during the 1860's. The bodice had no sleeves; black lace covered the breast area and black velvet had been sewn over the boning. Silver gems were neatly placed to outline the area beneath her breasts, and the skirt began right at her hips with silver gems lining that as well. The skirt was draped with black lace as well with a few silver gems scattered in the lace as well.

I couldn't help the sudden desire that came across me to cover her up so no one could see her milky white shoulders and back. That was mine to look at, not anyone else's. I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, keeping my eyes on Sam. She was smiling at me, as if she knew exactly what I wanted to do. Well, as soon as the ceremony was over, she'd be wearing my tuxedo coat, that's for sure. She seemed to take forever to reach me, and when she finally reached the altar, I stepped forward to take her hand and help her up the two steps to join me and the pastor.

We stood before the pastor and translator; my mind kind of lost track of everything after that. I stared at Sam during the whole "dearly beloved" speech the pastor did. My mind only came back to the ceremony and away from what Sam might be hiding under that dress when I saw the translator sign, "_Do you, Daniel Jack Fenton, take Samantha Elizabeth Manson to be your wife to have and to hold in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?_"

I opened my mouth then closed it again, my cheeks burning. Clearing my throat, I opened my mouth again and said, "I do." Sam's eyes glittered with tears; I could see the welcome surprise in her eyes. When it came to her turn, she said it aloud and signed it to me. I didn't need to see her hands though; I could read her lips as clearly as reading a book. Her lips quivered as she tried to hold back her tears, and I barely saw the translator sign, "_You may now kiss the bride._"

Stepping closer to her, I smiled as she wrapped her arms about my neck. Very slowly, I raised her veil so it no longer covered her face. "I love you," I whispered. A tear slipped down her cheek as she mouthed the words back to me. Then I leaned forward and kissed her.

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**Author's Note:** _I'll just leave it rightttt here. Too much fluff and stuff, and you guys might explode from the ooey gooey goodness. As a warning to my younger readers, there will be sex in the next chapter. I'm not gunna tell you where because I don't even know where yet. WHO WANTS TO SEE DANNY REMOVE A GARTER BELT???? ROFL. Lordy, two updates in one day? I've been busy! LOL  
_

**Blanket disclaimer:**_ Chapter 1_


	8. Chapter 8: Sweet Night

**Reviews:** Super-Berry, Extant, KittyKatluv, love-toushi, Teira Runes-Klein, Red's-Fury, Devilchild93, starr1095, silverstagbeauty, VampGrl1234, Samantha-Girl-Scout.

**Story Alerts:** Extant, OverRated1555.

_**Chapter 8:**__ Sweet Night_

Dancing was something I had never done in my whole life. Not even before I was deaf. I just didn't like to dance as a little kid. Being deaf made that dislike into full out loathing. Standing in front of the doors leading to the Manson's great room that they had decorated for the reception made me realize that we would be having a "first dance." I remembered Sam asking me if we could still do it; I couldn't remember agreeing, but that could've easily been because of her addicting lips.

Sure, I could feel the vibrations of the music. But figuring out those vibrations to dance to them was a completely different story. I glanced over at Sam in apprehension. She looked fine. Grasping her hand, I tugged her closer. "Sam," I whispered, and she turned her head toward me. "_I don't think I can do this dance thing. I've never danced, not even before I was deaf. Deaf and dancing is even worse._" I stared at my hand for a second; for once in my life, I was so nervous, I was shaking.

"_Danny, we talked about this. You're going to do fine. It's a slow song, and it's the only song you have to do. All you do is just rock me back and forth like we practiced._" Sam grasped my shaking hand in hers, squeezing it gently and giving me an encouraging smile.

I remembered the "dancing" practice we'd had. There wasn't much to it. And I would know when the music started by the vibrations. How hard could it be, right? We stepped into the room where everyone was waiting, and my sudden confidence dropped right down to my toes. Right, that was how hard it could be. Sam guided me to the dance floor; my heart was pounding in my chest. I thought for sure I would throw up. I had to look at Sam; I couldn't stand to look and see who was staring at me for the freak I was.

"_Just relax,_" Sam signed to me before wrapping her arms about my neck. I wrapped my own about her waist. Right, she could relax.

The vibrations in the floor gave me the cue to start. Even with Sam's comforting smile, I couldn't help feeling nervous. I smiled for her sake, but it was strained—I thought for sure it would pop off my face. She was worried for me. I could see it sparkling in her eyes, hidden behind her smile. Maybe she was regretting forcing me into this because I looked so unhappy. I didn't like making her feel like that.

I forced myself to relax, and the smile came easier as I did. Sam relaxed more as well, and I pulled her tighter, resting my chin against her head as she rested it on my shoulder. This was her day, and I wanted her to enjoy every bit of it—even if that meant going through a few minutes of torture with the dancing. The song was over long before I expected it to be.

Sam pulled away, smiling through her tears. "_Thank you, Danny. That meant a lot to me._"

Relief washed through me. I had done the right thing by sticking it out and enduring torture. I leaned down, giving her a kiss. "_I would do anything for you, my angel_."

For another hour, Sam and I sat at the bridal party table and watched the other people dancing. Sam danced with her father, of course, but my mom and I had already cut out the mother-son dance. She hated dancing just as much as I did. I couldn't hear the dinging of forks against glasses when people wanted to see us kiss, but I knew when it happened because Sam would lean over and kiss me. It certainly wasn't something she would do on her own; Sam wasn't big on public displays of affection.

When they brought out a single chair to the dance floor, I got a little confused. Sam was blushing like mad but took my hand, and the two of us walked out there. After sitting down in the chair, Sam explained, "_You have to take off my garter belt now. They want you to take it off with your teeth._"

My cheeks and ears felt like they were on fire. I had to take off that familiar bridal accessory with nothing but my teeth? And find a way in and out from underneath this dress of Sam's? What other embarrassing thing could they possibly want me to do? Staring up at Sam with a helpless expression, I tried to beg with my eyes for her to get me out of this. To my surprise, I found that Tucker had added a twist to this usual wedding reception game. I had my hands tied behind my back, and to make it that much more difficult, he blindfolded me.

As if nothing in my life could get any worse, I reluctantly agreed to play Tucker's stupid game. Sam had hoisted up her skirt a bit, and I rested my cheek against her leg, grinning a bit when I felt her shudder. If nothing else, this would be pure torture for her too, but in a much different fashion. Using my cheek and my lips to touch, I soon made my way up her leg and found the black piece of satin, lace, and elastic that she had shown me during the planning process of the wedding.

I took my time, considering my face was hidden in Sam's dress. Every time I kissed her leg, she shuddered. Damn, I couldn't wait for our wedding night. Grabbing a bit of the lace with my teeth, I slowly tugged the damn thing down. As soon as it slipped off from around her ankle, Tucker untied me, and I stood up with the garter belt in hand. The DJ gathered all of the single guys into the center of the dance floor, and I threw it out there for them to catch. I almost died laughing when it struck Vlad straight between the eyes.

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I stood on the balcony of our hotel suite, gazing out at Paris, France in wide wonder. The Manson's had paid for our wedding and our honeymoon, but I had not been expecting such a view. The Eiffel tower seemed to be only a finger's breadth away. Thankfully, they'd thought to get me a passport. I'd never been out of the country much less to another state. I turned as the vibrations of footprints alerted me to Sam finally coming out of the bedroom. She smiled at me, looking much more comfortable in her own usual clothing; her mother had made her wear a "special dress" for the flight. I honestly hadn't seen what was so special about it, but Sam had consented for her mother's sake.

She wrapped her arms about me, nuzzling her head against my shoulder. "_I still can't believe you're mine now,_" she signed. I could feel her let out a sigh against my neck. "_Honestly, I didn't think this day would come soon enough._"

I laughed, and she looked up at me curiously. "_I was worried it had come too soon. I was so nervous. I nearly face-planted on my way to the altar._"

Her eyes sparkled with laughter, but she bit her lip to keep it inside. "_I'm sorry, honey. At least you made it in one piece, right? My mother poked me with a pin while she was helping the tailor fix my dress. Someone stepped on it._" She made a grimace, but I couldn't help laughing again. It looked like Sam had had a harder time than me on our wedding day.

"_I'm sorry!_" I quickly signed as Sam gave me a dirty look. I gave her kiss to appease her, and she smiled, evidently content with my apology.

There was something so magical knowing that I stood here on this balcony in France with my wife by my side. I never thought something so special like this could happen to someone like me. Stroking back her hair from her face, I smiled down at her. Nothing in the world could make me so content and make me feel so special. She gazed up at me with a smile too, and I leaned down, grasping her chin in my hand and kissing her gently.

She returned the kiss just as gently, and I could feel the vibrations as she moaned against my lips. Her lips parted as my tongue snaked out, and I took my time in tasting her. I had all night and tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that for a week. There was no need to rush any part of this. Her hands slid upward, nails scraping against my shirt as she dragged them downward once more. Evidently _someone_ was in a hurry. Very slowly, I edged her toward the doorway, pinning her against the wall beside it. I unclasped her hands from around me and raised them above her head, pinning them there with one hand while I explored with the other.

Her lips broke away from mine, her chest rising and falling far too quickly to be normal breathing. My lips latched onto her neck instead, and a shudder ran through my body at the vibrations coming from her voice box. I refused to release her hands, even as she pushed against my hand. She was in far too much of a hurry; this needed to be done slowly and torturously teasingly. Pressing my entire body against her, my leg found a resting place between hers, pinning her completely against the wall.

Moving against me, she tried her hardest to urge me to her will. I refused to bend, my lips slowly trailing down to her shoulders, my free hand tugging away the fabric of her shirt so more of her milky white skin was bare to my scrutiny. When I ran out of skin to kiss, I raised my head and returned my lips to hers. She kissed me so fiercely, my knees nearly buckled. Lifting her up, I released her hands to carry her into the bedroom as she wrapped her arms and legs tightly around me.

We fell onto the bed, and I resumed my attack as soon as I'd stripped her of her shirt. Pinning her hands above her head once more, I simply gazed at her for a few moments. It was the most of her I had ever seen in my life. Laying my ear against her chest, I imagined for a moment what it would be like to hear her heart racing from what I did to her. She squirmed beneath me, and I took that as a sign to keep going.

Raising my head, I pressed my lips against her stomach then trailed them upward, kissing every bit of skin I possibly could. She was squirming so much underneath me, and for one moment, I had this heart wrenching pang of wishing I could hear her moans. Shaking that thought from my mind, I slid up her body to kiss her on the lips.

"Danny," her lips mouthed.

I just grinned at her before sliding down to her skirt. For now, I didn't bother to remove the short, black, pleated item from her body. I turned my attention her panties, removing them from her then slowly sliding my fingers up her legs before touching the area between her legs. Her body jerked as my finger gently stroked her folds, and I raised my head to look at her face. There was no pain there—only surprise and pure pleasure. Grinning, I brought my attention back to the sensitive area between her legs.

Ever so slowly, I slid my mouth closer before gently kissing her folds. Her freed hands fisted in my hair, and her entire body quivered. That was obviously the right thing to do. I opened my mouth, sliding my tongue along the opening there, and her body stiffened once more. I would have checked to see if I were hurting her, but her hands fisted in my hair were holding me in place. Evidently, she wasn't in pain. Closing my eyes, I inhaled her sweet scent before tasting her once more.

She jerked on my hair, and I raised my head to look at her. "_What?_" I asked her. "_You can't tell me you weren't enjoying that._"

Removing her hands from my hair as she scowled at me, she responded, "_You're torturing me. Danny, please, just take me already._"

My groin leapt at those words, and suddenly my pants felt far too tight. I pulled off her skirt before quickly removing my clothes from my body. Lying over her, I rested on my elbows and gazed into her eyes. She was gazing back at me as if willing me to see down to her very soul. Her sex was wet and warm against mine, and it took everything in me not to push myself into her then and there. She had told me before that she had never had sex; neither had I of course, but the male body was much different from the female's. I didn't want to hurt her.

"Sam," I whispered, my eyes closing and my body shuddering as she shifted beneath me. "I love you."

I opened my eyes to gaze into hers once more. There were tears glittering in her eyes, but she still smiled. "I love you too," I read off her lips. "I'm ready."

Very slowly, I led myself inside her. Instinct tried to kick in at the feel of her warm, soft, wet opening. Biting my lip and closing my eyes, I concentrated on moving as slowly as I could for her sake. There was some resistance, but it soon broke beneath me as I slipped completely inside her. Sam's hands grasped my shoulders, and I looked up at her face to see her eyes shut tightly. A tear trickled from the corner of her eye, and I panicked. Had I really hurt her that badly? Grasping her shoulder, I gently shook her so she would open her eyes to look at me.

"_I'm so sorry. We can stop,_" I reminded her. "_We don't have to go any further if it's hurting you too much._"

Her shoulders shook with light laughter, but I wish she wouldn't move at all. It was hard enough to concentrate being inside her without her moving around beneath me. "_I'm fine,_" she assured me, taking her hands down from my shoulders. "_It's natural that it'll hurt a little the first time, but now I feel fine. Just move slowly, all right?_"

I nodded, leaning down to kiss her as I slowly pulled out before pushing back in. The sensation that flooded me at this simple movement just about took my breath away. Everything in me screamed to move faster, but I knew better than that. Raising my hand, I rested two fingers against Sam's voice box so I could "hear" her. As I repeated the movement, Sam's hands grasped my shoulders once more, nails digging into my skin. I groaned and had to stop moving to get my wits together again. Only one of us was going to end up satisfied at the end of this if she didn't stop doing shit like that.

Between her squirms and moans and the sensations passing through my body from this one act, I was more than surprised that two hours had passed and I hadn't released yet. Thank god for self control. We still moved slowly, and Sam had opened her eyes to look at me finally, gazing at me with such an adoring expression that I could feel my cheeks heating up. For one moment, I could practically feel just how much she loved me, as if it were radiating off of her skin. My eyes closed, and I rested my chin against my shoulder as I moved with her.

Quite unexpectantly, Sam's entire body stiffened beneath me, and her opening tightened around me. My eyes seemed to roll back into my skull, and my body stiffened as I thrust into her, releasing everything I had. I managed to catch myself on my elbow, breathing heavily as I gazed down at her. What the hell had just happened to my self control? I thought to see Sam looking dejected and annoyed, but to my surprise, she looked satisfied and very content.

"_What was that?_" I asked.

Her shoulders shook with giggles, and I groaned and pulled out of her. I was sensitive after cumming inside her, and I didn't need her moving like that against me. "_Haven't you had sexual education?_"

I rolled my eyes. "_Yes. But they didn't teach us about the female stuff. What did you just do there?_"

She blushed but still smiled. "_You made me cum._"

My cheeks felt like they were on fire. Wow, I didn't know I would be able to do that to her on her first time and everything. I gently stroked her sweaty hair from her face, at a loss of what to say or sign. Kissing her gently on the lips, I moved so I lay on my side beside her, pulling her close to me as she rested her head against my bare chest. She traced her fingers along my chest, and I smiled as I felt her tracing the shape of a heart over and over just above my heart. Resting my chin against her hair, I closed my eyes and breathed in her scent.

"I love you, Sam," I whispered, but I didn't need to hear or see her response as I drifted off to sleep. I already knew she felt the same.

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**Author's Note:** _And all the readers that actually made it through the lemon go "Awwwwww", and all the readers who skipped it go "What'd I miss?" So, this will probably be the only actual sex scene in this story. Of course, they will still be having sex, but yeah, this is the only scene spelled out for you guys. Um… more fun stuff coming up in the next chapter!_

**Blanket disclaimer:** _Chapter 1._


	9. Chapter 9: Honeymoons End With a Bang

**Reviews:** silverstagbeauty, VampGrl1234, Super-Berry, Red's-Fury, Romance and Musicals, KittyKatluv.

**Story Alerts:** Vine Silver.

_**Chapter 9:**__ Honeymoons End With a Bang_

It was one thing to wake up with Sam beside me because she had stayed the night at my place; it was a whole other thing to wake up because a naked Sam had just decided to straddle my hips. My dream world suddenly popped into reality as I groaned and opened my eyes to find Sam sitting on my hips, gazing down at me with a smile. She was still completely naked as was I, but she seemed overly anxious for me to wake up right now. I had the same morning horniness that all guys get, and with her sitting right in that spot, it was very difficult not to continue what had happened last night.

"_Sam, what are you doing?_" I asked, still groggy and disoriented from being woken in such a fashion.

"_Gazing down at my husband who has cute bed head._" Her body shook as she laughed when my hands rose to my head.

I scowled at her. "_Very funny. Can you get off now? I've just woken up, and as appealing as your naked body is right now, I'd really like to be much more lucid during the act._"

Her body shook with giggles once again, and she climbed off of me before sliding off of the bed. She bit her lip as she stood, putting her hands on her abdomen.

"Sam?" She turned to look at me, smiling lightly. "_Are you okay? You look like you're in pain._" I would hate myself if I had hurt her when I had done everything I could think of to avoid that.

She waved me away. "_I'm fine. Most girls are sore their first time. It's nothing a warm bath won't fix._" Taking one of the complimentary bath robes hanging near the bed, she turned to look at me, brows raised. "_Care to join me, handsome?_"

My eyes widened, and my body suddenly got hot all over. I didn't answer her; I just leapt out of the bed and grabbed my matching bath robe before chasing her to the bathroom.

We emerged about an hour later, both of us clean and Sam a little sorer than she had been. Neither of us was really in the mood for sight-seeing so I called up room service. We dressed and snuggled in the living room of our suite as we waited for the food. Having never been out of the country, French food was quite a surprise for me. I knew French fries weren't actually French, but I still couldn't help wishing for a plate of the crispy deep-fried potatoes as Sam and I sat enjoying our brunch.

They had sent us more than enough for two people: waffles, pancakes, plates of sausage and bacon, muffins, croissants, fruit, eggs, five different kinds of juice, four different syrups, three different kinds of toasted bread with assorted jams, grilled ham steaks, thinly sliced smoked salmon, bagels, and donuts. What caught me most by surprise were the donuts. They looked like American donuts, smelled like American donuts, but when I bit inside one, it was filled with a French custard. It was the best donut I'd ever had. For every meat source they had brought for me, they had brought a tofu supplement for my ultra-recylo vegetarian wife, and any dairy products had been supplemented with their soy counterpart. They tasted the same to me. She made a face as I made myself a plate of eggs, bacon, sausage, a grilled ham steak, and even some of the smoked salmon.

"_So much meat on your plate. I don't think I can kiss you after breakfast,_" she said as I started to eat.

I snorted, trying to avoid food from flying everywhere in my attempt not to laugh. "_I can brush my teeth and get a tic-tac if you like._"

Her shoulders shook with laughter, and she grinned at me. "_I think you'd need more than that to get the stink of meat off of you._"

"_Another bath?_" I suggested with a wicked grin, my brows rising. She rolled her eyes and threw a pillow at my head.

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Returning home after two weeks in France was like the craziest kind of culture shock. The first day, Sam and I did nothing but sleep. We recovered from jetlag thanks to that and started unwrapping the hundreds of wedding gifts we'd gotten that the Manson's had graciously put in my apartment. They'd tried to buy us a house; Sam and I both politely refused, saying we would get a house when we needed something bigger than two rooms and a bathroom.

"_What the hell are you supposed to do with this?_" I asked Sam as I unwrapped what looked to be some kind of complicated food processing unit.

Her shoulders shook as she giggled. "_It's a juice maker. You peel the fruit, stick it in, and the machine makes juice out of it for you. You can even make it with or without pulp._"

I rolled my eyes. "_It's easier to buy the juice._"

"_It's cheaper to make._"

Heaving a sigh, I set the juice maker in the pile of appliances heading for the kitchen. Someone else had bought us a toaster, a microwave oven (which was in the return pile since I had one), and a bread maker. One of us would have to learn how to use these fancy "make-your-own-food" contraptions, and I didn't like the idea of it ending up being me.

"_Can't we just be normal and buy our own bread and juice?_" I asked, glancing at Sam and slowly pushing the bread maker and the juice maker toward the return pile.

"_Stop that, and put them back. If you don't want to learn how to use them, I will. I'll have nothing to do around here except learn how to use these things anyway until we have kids._"

Right, kids… Sam had told me during our relationship that she had always wanted kids. Even with her rebellious beliefs that having children was such a backwards ordeal because you always ended up screwing them up anyway, she wanted them desperately. I, on the other hand, did not like the idea of being unable to help because of my inability to hear. We hadn't talked more on it since then, but now I knew Sam still planned to have kids. Shaking my head, I pushed the bread maker and juice maker back in the kitchen pile. I didn't want to have this conversation about children right now.

"_Here, Danny, this one's specifically labeled for you._" Sam set a crudely-wrapped gift in my lap, wrapping her arms about my shoulders as she watched me open it.

The tag said it was from Tucker and what I unwrapped looked like a collection of jams. On the packaging, it read, "Sex Candy." I didn't need to see the explanation on the back to realize this was something you put on yourself or your partner that the other licked off. Clearing my throat, I set that in the bedroom pile even as my cheeks started to burn. Sam was shaking from where she sat, wrapped around me. Yeah, she could laugh; she hadn't gotten any embarrassing gifts.

Finally finished with the gifts, we started putting them in their respectful places before we sat down to open up all the gift cards and gift envelopes. There were hundreds of those too. Any business associates that couldn't make it to the wedding had sent a card. We soon had a very nice pile of gift cards for different home improvement stores and home appliance stores. I knew Sam would probably go crazy decorating this house with new pillows, comforters, towels, and everything else. Everything I had was starting to fall apart anyway considering I'd had it since I was fourteen.

In another pile, we'd set all the cash. Many of the business associates had sent crisp hundred dollar bills, some in small stacks that made the envelope nearly burst. Anyone from my family that had given money had sent crumpled up twenties and a few tens. Our rent could easily be paid for the next six months on the money we received.

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About a week after we'd gotten resettled in my apartment, we invited Sam's friends over. Tucker and Valerie were sitting on the sofa chatting together. He was sitting dangerously close to her, but she hadn't pushed him away. My guess was that something had happened between those two while we were busy with our own lives. Sam was talking to Rebecca, and she glanced at me occasionally to smile. Jessica followed me around as much as she could without being obvious. When I went into the kitchen to refill the snack trays, she followed and helped.

For once, I thought maybe she was just being nice. Then I saw her glance toward the living room. I looked too, and I saw Sam heading for the bathroom with a hand on her mouth. She looked ill, but Rebecca followed after her. Before I could leave the kitchen, Jessica suddenly had me pinned against the cabinets, and her lips suddenly covered mine. My eyes widened, and my entire body stiffened. This was the third girl in three years to just randomly kiss me, but this was more like that first kiss I'd ever gotten.

I tried to push her away, but she grabbed onto my shirt and locked her lips against mine once more. Edging my head to the side, I could see that Tucker had finally looked up from Valerie. He caught my pleading gaze and ran for Sam. She emerged from the bathroom looking as if someone had told her a cow had been slaughtered in her very kitchen—you did not kill meat in front of Sam; she would kill you. Jessica pulled away as Sam picked up a pan; as she raised it back to slap Jessica senseless with it, she hit me hard in the back of the head as I tried to get out of the way. She either didn't notice or had much more pressing things on her mind because I dropped like a rock.

My world spun for a couple moments, and my ears were ringing. Who knew Sam could hit so hard? I saw Jessica's feet run past with Sam quickly behind her. Something told me she still held the pan because Tucker winced as he glanced toward the girls. He had knelt down beside me, trying to help me up off the floor. It felt as if something had cracked in my head, and my eyes crossed for a moment; I managed to push Tucker away just as I vomited all over the floor. Sam was by my side a few seconds later, looking absolutely horrified and grasping my arm to help Tucker get me to my feet.

She seemed too panicked to sign, but I couldn't see clearly enough to read her lips either. I groaned, putting a hand to the back of my head. The floor seemed to suddenly be rising up again then I felt Sam catch me, helping me down gently. Valerie and Rebecca were cleaning up the mess as Sam held me in her lap, cradling my head. I closed my eyes as the world seemed to spin again, taking deep breaths to keep from vomiting again. What I really wanted was just to sleep or to be left alone with Sam so I could just recover. Instead, I was being lifted up again, and I opened my eyes to find Tucker and Sam helping me toward the front door.

Getting to the car was an adventure in of itself, but getting me into the car was even worse. I tried holding onto the door and resting a hand against the side of the car to hold myself up and get in, but my brain wasn't working right. My legs just slid like jelly, and Tucker and Sam hurried to catch me as I nearly fell backward. At least Jessica wouldn't be around anymore. I started laughing as Tucker and Sam slowly edged me into the car head first before getting me to sit down. Where were we going anyway? Sam had said she wanted to stay home all day. Or was that yesterday?

I stared up at Tucker in confusion. When had he gotten here? Did he live in this building? Had we rented out our second bedroom to him without me knowing it? Sitting in the backseat, I turned my head to look forward. Ever so slowly, my body started slumping down to the left into the empty seat beside me. Sam hurriedly ran around the car and got in that side, pushing me back up into a sitting position.

"Hi," I said, grinning like mad as she wrapped my arm about her shoulders and wrapped her own around my waist.

She smiled at me before looking to the driver's seat where Tucker was sitting. When had we gone from being in our car to sitting in Tucker's? Or was Tucker driving our car? What were we doing in the car anyway? I didn't want to go anywhere. Maybe we could get ice cream while we were out. I turned to Sam to ask her, but then everything went black.

When I woke up, I was lying on my side, curled up in our bed. I couldn't remember walking to the bedroom much less going to sleep. I struggled to sit up, but a gentle hand touched my arm and pushed me back down. Turning my head, I saw Sam lying beside me. She was smiling, but I could tell from her puffy eyes that she had been crying.

"Sam…" I raised my hands to sign to her. "_What happened?_"

"_After Tucker came to tell me you were being attacked by Jessica, I accidentally hit you with the pan I was planning to use on her._"

I frowned a bit; I remembered that much. "_No, after that. I remember you and Tucker getting me in the car, but then everything's gone._"

"_We took you to the hospital. You have a concussion. The doctor said you were lucky you got hit with the flat side. I could've cracked your skull open._" She bit her lip, her eyes glittering with tears, and she turned her head away as if to force the tears to stay back.

"Sam," I whispered, slowly sliding closer to her.

My ears rung at the slight movement and my head shot a spasm of pain down my entire body, but I didn't throw up or black out. So, that was good. Very slowly, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close. She wrapped her arms around me in return, resting her head against my chest as the tears started to fall. I knew she felt guilty for hurting me, but I didn't care. It wasn't her fault, and at least Jessica was no longer welcome in our home.

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Sam wouldn't let me out of bed the next morning. I begged and pleaded and pouted, but nothing made her sway. "_The doctor said two weeks,_" she told me.

I groaned, rolling over and covering my head with a pillow. What would I possibly do with two weeks of nothing but bed rest? Heaving a sigh, I rolled over as something dropped on the bed. Looking up at Sam from the textbooks she dropped beside me, I pouted. How could I possibly concentrate on school work while confined to this comfortable bed? She just grinned at me before turning to leave the room. Quickly, I grabbed her arm and tugged her down so she toppled onto the bed with me. I grinned at the shocked look on her face, kissing her lips before sliding my lips down her neck.

Her pulse quickened under my wandering lips, and I felt her hands clench and unclench on my shoulders. She wanted it as much as I did, but then she suddenly pushed me away as I slid further down. "_Danny, wait,_" she said as I looked at her in confusion. "_I have to tell you something. While we were at the hospital, I had a nurse run a test for me._"

This didn't sound like anything new. She had tons of tests run every three months to make sure the leukemia was still in remission. I leaned forward to kiss her; I really couldn't care about tests right now. Once again, she pushed me back with a frustrated expression on her face.

"_Danny, just stop for a second. This is important._" Heaving a sigh, I moved back so she could tell me about her tests. "_She ran the tests for me, and…_" She bit her lip then rested her hands on her stomach, looking down at it.

At first, I didn't get it. Then as the realization of what she was telling me hit me, I paled. I knew she hadn't expected that reaction. I could tell from the hurt look on her face. Scrubbing at my face with my hands, I tried to figure out a way to explain what was going through my mind. How did you tell your pregnant wife that you had wanted time to talk about having kids before actually having one? I knew she had wanted one, and I had seen the ovulation kit under the sink, but it was still unopened. She had been waiting for us to talk about it. Now, it was a moot point.

Heaving a sigh, I began to sign to her slowly. "_Sam, it's not that I don't want kids,_" I explained slowly, "_it's just that… in my condition I don't get to experience everything. I won't get to hear her talk or cry or laugh. I'll never know if she wakes up in the middle of the night, and you certainly can't leave me alone with the baby to run errands because I could turn away and never notice her crying._"

Sam was crying now, and that had not been what I wanted to do to her. I know she wanted me to be excited about this, to be as happy as she was. But how could I? Everything in me screamed that this was a bad idea right now.

"Sam—" She shook her head, pushing away from me and getting out of the bed. "Sam!" I grabbed for her arm, but she pulled away from me and fled to the bathroom. Once again, I hated myself.

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**Author's Note:** _Angst, angst. Loverly angst! The next chapter is going to be soooo awesome! It's going to have more angst too because now Sam will be about two to three months pregnant, and it's going to be really hard on poor Danny. As you can see, it's already hard on him! Review cuz you love me, and you want this all to end happily ever after! Why is it that every chapter seems to get less reviews? Am I updating too quickly for some of you? I sorry! I can't help it!!!  
_

**Blanket disclaimer:**_ Chapter 1._


	10. Chapter 10: Pregnancy Hormones

**Reviews:** Romance and Musicals, Super-Berry, Vine Silver, silverstagbeauty, Devilchild93, VampGrl1234, Samantha-Girl-Scout, love-toushi, Double I 4 My Guyz.

**Story Alerts:**

_**Chapter 10: **__Pregnancy Hormones_

Lying in bed, I gazed up at the ceiling to contemplate the new events that had happened to me only two months ago. Sighing, I rolled over to gaze at the beautiful young woman lying beside me. Curled around a pillow, she looked happy. But her eyes were puffy from crying again—and it was my fault. I knew when we were together that Sam would want children, and even I liked the idea of being a daddy. But I just couldn't help feeling cheated out of the whole experience when I couldn't hear anything. I'd tried to explain that to Sam more than once, but she couldn't handle it. She couldn't understand why I just couldn't be happy.

I tried so many times to just think of all the good that would happen; I'd get to teach the baby to walk and sign, and I could play with the baby and hold it. Wrapping my arm about Sam's middle, I rested my chin against her shoulder. She stirred a bit but didn't wake, and I gazed down at her wishing so much we weren't fighting like this. Gently stroking her hair from her face, I kissed her forehead then her nose. Couldn't she see that I loved her? Couldn't she see that I wanted to try at least?

Her eyes fluttered open at my gentle kisses, and she looked up at me with a groggy, confused face. "_Danny, what are you doing still awake?_" She glanced over at the clock on our night stand before looking back at me. "_It's nearly four in the morning._"

"_I can't sleep._" I rested my head on her stomach as she rolled onto her back. "_I hate fighting with you. I can't stand not being close to you._"

She turned her head away, and I felt her chest rise and fall as she let out a deep breath. "_Danny, it's too early in the morning for this. Can't we talk about this later?_"

I wanted to shake her. We never talked about it; we only ever fought about it. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, I closed my eyes. She ran her fingers through my hair, and I tried to take comfort in the fact that we weren't fighting right now. But I knew I still wouldn't be able to sleep. Opening my eyes, I saw she still had her eyes open too. She looked exhausted, and I knew she needed her sleep for the baby. I just shook my head, moving away to rest my head on the pillow again.

"_Go back to sleep, Sam. We'll talk in the morning._" Closing my eyes, I tried my hardest to just not think about what I was saying. Sam had always told me she didn't want me to push my feelings aside, but it was so hard not to when everything I said seemed to upset her.

A soft hand touched my arm, and I opened my eyes. Sam was looking up at me, tears glittering in her eyes. Damn it, how did I manage to make her cry even by consenting to talk about things later? I had to look away, sighing as she moved closer to me and wrapped her arms about me, burying her face into my chest. When I looked back down, she was looking up at me again.

"_Danny, I miss our closeness too. Talk to me, please? I want to listen._"

I rubbed at my eyes; they stung from not sleeping in two days. "_I've already said everything I can about this. Every time I say it again, you start crying and telling me I don't want the baby at all. And that's not even what I'm trying to say._"

Frustration was creeping in, and now I didn't want to talk about this either. She was crying again, tears streaming down her cheeks. The doctor had told us both repeatedly that stress wasn't good for the mother or the baby. Why couldn't she just see how much I was trying to make this a calm conversation?

"Sam," I muttered, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head.

Her body jerked, and I had a feeling she had the hiccups from all the crying she'd done. She raised her head, looking up at me once more. "_I'm sorry,_" she said. "_I can't help it. I'm sorry I keep saying you don't want the baby. I know you've been trying. You just don't seem as excited as me, and that hurts._"

"_You think I don't want to be more excited, Sam?_" I gently eased her away from me, getting up out of bed to pace in front of our window. Sitting down on the sill, I sighed once more. "_I really want to be a dad. You have no idea how much I want to be a dead. But I feel cheated. Everything you experience, I will get to experience without sound. You will hear it's first word, it's first giggle. I get nothing._"

She slid out of bed, kneeling at my feet and gently massaging my calves. I saw her lips move as she said my name, but she wasn't crying anymore. She stopped her massage to sign to me. "_I'm sorry. I didn't plan this anymore than you did. At first, I felt a little apprehensive. I didn't feel ready. We'd just gotten married and everything; it didn't seem fair to have a baby now. Now, I know I want to have this baby, and I'm excited. I can't help it._"

I groaned, shaking my head. "_I want to have this baby too, Sam. This is our baby, and I really do what to have it. Please, just try to understand my excitement is not going to match yours. No matter what, I'm going to come up short._"

She nodded then leaned forward and wrapped her arms about my middle, her head resting against my stomach. I absently stroked her hair, wishing so much I could have my hearing back now. The doctors kept telling me my ears were healed so why couldn't I hear still?

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Heaving a sigh, I stared at the white board in front of me trying to understand what this math class was trying to teach me. Between Sam's new pregnancy and my inability to hear, I simply wasn't in the mood to concentrate on math. Glancing at my phone, I nearly groaned when I saw only a few minutes had passed. I pushed my phone back into my pocket just as it vibrated and pulled it out to find Sam had texted me. For a moment, I thought of ignoring it, but she knew my class schedule. This had to be important if she was texting me now.

I flipped open my phone to read the text. "Danny, I'm scared. There's a lot of blood. Please come home."

My eyes widened, and I quickly packed my things and fled the classroom. I texted my mother who lived closest to us, telling her what Sam had told me. When I got home, my mom was pulling up. "_You go in first,_" she said. "_Try to calm her down._"

I nodded, running inside. Throwing my backpack aside, I ran to our bedroom. The comforter was thrown back, and there was blood all over the sheets. Sam wasn't in our bedroom so I pushed open the door to the bathroom. I nearly broke down into tears. She was curled up in the bath tub, crying, and her nightgown was stained with blood. There was blood on her hands and legs, and there was a little trickle of blood heading for the drain. Very slowly, I walked over to her and knelt beside the tub.

She looked up at me, tears streaming down her cheeks. "_Why?_" she asked, but I didn't know what to tell her.

I wrapped her up in some old sheets so she wouldn't feel bad about staining my mom's car. I know my mom wouldn't care one way or the other, but Sam would. My mom held open the car door as I gently set Sam in the backseat before climbing in on the other side. No one said anything on the way to the hospital whether by signing or actually speaking. Sam clung to me as I carried her into the hospital, and it took some time to convince her to let me go so the nurses could take her to a room to get her looked over.

Waiting in that hospital lounge was the worst thing I had ever experienced. I had thought waiting at home for news of Sam during her leukemia return had been bad, but sitting here in this uncomfortable chair waiting to hear anything was worse. My mother had gone home to let Jazz, my dad, and Vlad know. I should've texted the Manson's but my hands were shaking too badly.

No one approached me for what seemed like hours. Then a nurse came up and set a hand on my shoulder. I looked up at her, unashamed of the tears that had started a few minutes ago. She spoke slowly enough that I could read from her lips that Sam was going to be fine. Trying to ask about the baby would've been a waste of time; I needed to see Sam. Following the nurse down the hall to Sam's room, I couldn't help blaming myself. I hadn't been ready to be a dad yet, and now I had unintentionally killed my baby.

Swallowing back the sob that threatened, I stepped into the hospital room. Lying there, curled up in the large bed was my tiny wife. Tears spilled down my cheeks, and for a moment, I couldn't see. I wiped at my eyes before stepping over to the bed, sitting down in the chair that had been placed there. She was crying too as she looked up at me. Her face was distraught, and I could only imagine how much this hurt her.

"_I'm so sorry, Sam._" I leaned down, kissing her forehead and trying to wipe away her tears. But more only kept falling. "_This is all my fault._"

She shook her head, slowly sliding her hand out from under her head. "_Don't blame yourself, Danny. The doctor said there was nothing anyone could have done. It happened for no reason at all._" But I could see it in her eyes that she blamed herself just as I blamed myself.

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Coming home a few days later with Sam seemed like the most depressing thing in the world. I'd been spending nights at the hospital with Sam, but my mom had come home and cleaned up the blood. The Manson's had bought us new sheets, and I locked up the second bedroom that Sam had started decorating for the baby. She didn't say anything as I gently led her back to our room, my hand on her back as she walked forward; she hadn't said much at all since it had happened.

"_Are you hungry?_" I asked as she sat down on our bed.

She gave me a small smile but shook her head, laying down and holding a pillow to her chest. I sat down beside her, gently stroking her hair. Nothing could have prepared either one of us for this, and I knew Sam had to be hurting more than me. After all, she had had the baby inside of her, feeling it grow. Now, that was gone.

"Sam," I whispered softly as she started to cry.

She just shook her head, crying harder. Feeling helpless, I climbed into the bed beside her, holding her tightly as she shook with sobs. Why couldn't anything go right for us right now? Resting my head on hers, I gazed up at the ceiling and tried my hardest not to cry too. Could fate really be so cruel to bring so much pain to us so many times?

I woke up, sitting up with a start. I hadn't even realized I'd fallen asleep, and Sam wasn't by my side anymore. Climbing out of the bed, I head to the doorway. I didn't need to go any farther. Sam was sitting in front of the door to the second bedroom, curled up as she cried. Her hands were red and swollen; I had a feeling she'd been trying to break through the door for a while.

"Sam…" I sat down beside her, gazing at her sad face. "_It's for the best. Just give yourself some time to heal, and I'll open it back up, okay?_"

Wiping at her eyes, she nodded, and her shoulders jerked as she hiccupped. "_I want to try again,_" she said. "_When I feel better, I want to try again for a baby._"

I didn't have the heart to tell her no, no matter my feelings on the subject. She wanted a baby, and I wanted so much to give her one. "_I promise, we'll try,_" I responded, kissing her forehead and holding her tightly. "Sam…"

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Several months had passed since we were devastated by Sam's miscarriage. We were still going through the emotional ups and downs. The day I unlocked the second bedroom was only two months after the incident. Sam stayed in that room all day long, staring at the bordering she had bought for the baby and the yellow walls I had painted for her. It just didn't seem fair that we should have to go through all of this.

We hadn't had sex since it happened. The one night Sam had wanted to, she'd started crying. I couldn't even get it up in a situation like that. I had finished school, graduating with honors and receiving a permanent job at the school for deaf children that I had subbed at. Sam came by my work sometimes; I taught kindergarten, and she was always happy when she played with the children. Eventually, we both stopped crying all the time. Sam could sleep through the night now without waking up in tears, and I no longer found her in the second bedroom collapsed in tears. Things were starting to look up again.

"_The doctor says I'm completely healed,_" Sam said. We were sitting in the kitchen; I was getting ready for work, and Sam had gotten up to make me breakfast.

"_You said that two months ago,_" I reminded her. "_You wanted to try again but started crying._"

Her cheeks flushed, and she looked down. "_I know. I remember. This time, I really think I'm ready to try again._"

I sighed, shaking my head. It wasn't that I didn't want to. My entire body heated up just talking about the prospect of sex. But I didn't want Sam to push herself. "_Sam, the doctor may say you're physically stable, but emotionally, I don't think you're ready yet._" Tears flooded her eyes as she looked at me. "_You know I want to. You have no idea how badly I want to. Just give yourself some time. I promised you we would try again, and we will. Just give yourself some time._"

She nodded and managed a small smile through her tears. I set my breakfast dishes in the sink and walked over to her, running my fingers over her cheek as I gazed into her eyes. "I love you, Sam," I whispered. I saw her mouth the words back to me before wrapping her arms about my neck and kissing me on the lips.

Kissing her was enough to set me off now, but I gently pushed her away, giving her a soft smile. I just hoped she knew I only did this for her. Otherwise, I would've readily thrown her on the counter and had my way with her already, but I knew she wasn't ready. She promised to come visit again today after her bread had finished baking in the bread maker. Then I left for work, walking to the bus station just in time to catch the bus I needed.

After the school day had ended, I stayed after to grade papers. Sam hated it when I did things like that without alerting her so I made certain to text her. She asked that I just make sure to come home by six. I left the school at 5:30 and was unlocking the front door right at six. On the dining room table was a setting for two with candles lighting it and vegetarian lasagna. What caught my attention, however, was the young woman standing beside the table. She was wearing only a black negligee, and her smile was far from innocent.

My mouth felt dry as she walked up to me. She really hadn't been kidding when she said she wanted to try again today. Very slowly, she raised her hand and pressed it against my lower jaw, successfully closing my gaping mouth. Then she leaned forward and kissed me. Good god, why did my wife have to be so damn sexy? I don't think she'd planned on skipping dinner; neither had I honestly. But I blew the candles out on the table before returning my lips to hers, pushing her toward the bedroom.

Her eyes were wide with surprise, but her smile was wanting. Now she would definitely know that I had wanted this just as much as she had this morning. She stood pinned against the wall at the end of the hallway as my lips ravaged her mouth. I hadn't kissed her this passionately since the accident, but now she would be getting everything I'd held back on. Lifting her up, I carried her into the room as her legs wrapped about my hips while her lips attacked my neck with fervor. Shuddering, I kicked the door closed behind me then tossed her on the bed. Tonight, neither of us would be sleeping for an entirely different reason.

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**Author's Note:** _Yes, I cut off the sex scene for a reason. I did promise Chapter 8 would have the only lemon. Danny WILL be getting his hearing back sometime, I swear! It's just that every time I try to squeeze it in, they want to do something like this! Maybe I can squeeze it in after Sam gets pregnant? I don't know. We'll see with Chapter 11. Okay guys?_

**Blanket disclaimer:**_ Chapter 1._


	11. Chapter 11: Whispers in the Silence

**YOU GUYS ARE SO LUCKY I CHANGED MY MIND ABOUT THE CRAZY ANGST IDEA I WAS GOING TO THROW THIS STORY THROUGH! INTERESTED IN THAT IDEA? KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR MY NEXT STORY.**

**Reviews:** Samantha-Girl-Scout, VampGrl1234, Extant, starr1095, ShortSweet'NToThePoint, KittyKatluv, love-toushi, Romance and Musicals, Super-Berry.

**Story Alerts:** ShortSweet'NToThePoint, Hyperpegasi.

_**Chapter 11: **__Whispers in the Silence_

I massaged my temples, heaving a sigh. Sam and I had been trying for another baby for almost six months now. Six months of sex every night and nearly every moment on the weekends. But she still hadn't conceived again. I knew how much it hurt her; after losing the first baby, we both really wanted another one. How could it be fair to torture us like this? Fate must really enjoy tormenting us, or we had someone gotten on her bad side.

Glancing up at the ceiling, I tried to ignore the painful migraine I was tormented with. The best way to describe it would be to say that my brain was trying to chisel its way out of my skull. It was not a pleasant feeling. Sam and I were at a fertility clinic—our second in two months. The first had given us both a clean bill of fertility, saying it was simply Sam's miscarriage making it difficult. Sam had wanted a second opinion so I agreed to once again have my sperm tested. We received the same answer, but this time they had therapy available for Sam so she could conceive again.

While I wasn't actually allowed in the therapy class, Sam begged me to go with her every Wednesday and wait in the lobby for her. So, here I sat with my children's homework on my lap, trying to grade spelling tests with my head throbbing in agony. My doctor had me come in for head scans every three months because of my concussion. He was worried about how it would affect my ears and my ability to regain my sound. I couldn't see how anything could affect my ability to regain my sound; I hadn't yet, and I doubted I ever would.

Fighting back a groan from the agony of my head, I turned my attention back to the spelling tests on my lap. I slowly read through each word, trying to get my brain to concentrate on something else so it wouldn't ache so much. Giving up, I closed the manila folder and pushed it back into my briefcase. Throwing my arm over my eyes, I shielded my aching brain from the light as I tried to will my headache away. A gentle hand rested on my shoulder, and I slowly raised my arm to peek up at Sam.

"_You okay?_" she asked.

I nodded. "_Killer headache. It's like the headache from hell._"

Her shoulders shook as she laughed, but she smiled comfortingly and helped me to my feet. "_Just keep your eyes closed or covered. I'm sure the light isn't helping._"

Nodding, I followed her to the car, keeping my eyes shielded from the sun. It was amazing how the nerves in my eyes could make my headache pulse even more painfully when struck by light. Heaving a sigh, I closed my eyes and leaned back in the chair. I just hoped this headache was gone by tomorrow. I still needed to work.

Thankfully, my headache eased off enough that I could finish grading my students' tests that night. In the morning, though, the headache was back full force. Refusing to take a sick day so early in my career, I popped some pain killers then headed off to work. Sam slept in that morning so I made certain to give her a kiss before I left. The pain killers worked well enough that I could teach through the first half of the day. At lunch, it came back with a vengeance. It felt ten times worse than the one from yesterday even.

Unfortunately, I had agreed to help watch the children at recess that day so I sat on a bench in the shade, gritting my teeth and bearing the pain. A ringing started to develop in my ears, only adding to the agony in my brain and creating an annoying fly-like sound I couldn't get rid of. Then suddenly, as if someone had pressed an "on button" that I hadn't seen, my hearing popped back. Screaming children, teachers shouting out orders, whistles being blown, metal chains on tether balls hitting the tether ball poles, basketballs bouncing on the asphalt. The very wind seemed far too loud in my ears.

Covering them, I gritted my teeth and tried my hardest to bear through the pain. The doctors had never warned me that my ears would be so sensitive whenever I got my hearing back! This was unbearable! I let out a cry of frustration, standing up and shaking my head. Someone touched me—I didn't know who—and I found myself on the ground still covering my ears and shaking my head. The bell rang for the children to go back inside. I didn't know which was more painful: the bell or the vibrations from the bell and the children's running feet.

"Someone get Mrs. Fenton!" I heard someone shout.

It was quieter when the children were gone, but the adults that had come to help me were all talking at once. The agony was still unbearable, and I refused to be moved from my position. There was no way in hell I would be taking my hands down with all of this sound.

"Move!" I heard a voice shout. "Damn it, people, shut up! Can't you see you're hurting him?!"

The voices abruptly stopped. Only the wind and the occasional metal chain bumping against a metal pole could be heard now. A soft hand touched my shoulder; I recognized the feel of Sam's hand, slowly lowering my hands from my ears. My body began to relax as the wind slowly drifted into simple background noise, like a whisper you couldn't quite catch. The sound of metal against metal still made my head ache, but I managed to slowly sit up with Sam's help.

"Danny?" Her voice was soft, almost melodic. I had never imagined her voice would sound like that, so beautiful and sweet.

Slowly opening my eyes, I looked up at her. She was smiling, and her eyes were glittering with tears. "Sam," I croaked out, grimacing at the sound of my own voice. Compared to hers, it sounded harsh and abused from years of misuse and little use.

"Hey, honey," she whispered, gently stroking her hair back from my face. "What happened?"

"I-I don't…. kn-kn-know," I stuttered, finding the words familiar yet hard to say with my voice that had been used so very little. They sounded garbled, the way a child would say them. "My he-headache…" It was gone. Evidently, it was a side-effect of my brain trying to process the sounds it was suddenly being bombarded with. Now that it had figured them out, I was hearing. "Sam…" Very slowly, I wrapped my arms around her, pressing the side of my head against her shoulder as if to block out the sound in one ear at least. "Scared…"

She gently stroked my hair, holding me tightly. "Don't be afraid, sweetheart. I'll take you home. You'll feel better."

We drove home with the windows rolled up in the car and the air conditioning on. Sam didn't like to use it very much because it used up more gas, but as it were, I could still hear every honking horn and skidding tire even through the glass. To a normal person, it may not have been as noticeable, like the wind, but right now, to me, it was like agony. I walked from the car to the house with my hands over my ears. Nothing the doctors had told me or given me to read had prepared me for this.

"Are you hungry?" Sam asked, sitting me down in the living room.

I shook my head, looking up at her. "Sam?"

"Yeah, Danny?" She sat down in front of the coffee table so she could look right into my face.

"I love you." To my absolute shock, "love" sounded like "luff", and I clapped a hand over my mouth and stared at her as if to ask, 'have I always said it like that?'

She smiled, reaching out and taking my hand down from my mouth. "I love you too, Danny. And yes, it's always come out like that."

God, how embarrassing… Shaking my head, I stared down at our clasped hands. "You'll tea-tea-teash me, right?"

"If you want me to, yes." She was still smiling when I glanced back up at her.

This all seemed so strange and unreal. I was exhausted from not sleeping well with my headache, but I was afraid if I went to sleep, I would wake up finding all of this to be a dream. "I'm hungry now."

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For nearly a week now, I had had my hearing. Sometimes I still signed the words I didn't know how to say just yet mainly because I was too embarrassed to say them out loud. Around Sam, though, I spoke as much as I possibly could. We hadn't had sex since I'd gotten my hearing back, though my desire to give Sam a baby had only increased. I had the chance to be a part of everything now, and I really wanted that chance. However, because of how sensitive my hearing was, Sam had suggested we take a break from trying for a bit.

My family had been overjoyed when I told them in stuttered words that I'd gotten my hearing back. Sam and I went to visit them, and I regretted it afterward. Jazz squealed so loud that I actually let out another cry of agony and covered my ears. She felt bad afterward, of course, and Sam explained that everyone should speak lowly and one at a time so as not to overwhelm my sensitive ears. Vlad's voice was probably the most surprising for me since my memory of it as a child was very little. He hadn't started visiting as often until after the accident.

Sam taught me how to say ten new words each day. We limited it because we didn't want to overwhelm my brain with new sounds. The doctors were overjoyed with my recovery and had done hearing tests to find my hearing was perfect in both ears. I had never thought a beeping noise could be as agonizingly loud as it was then. Even the gentlest beeps were louder to me than they were to Sam.

"So, are you feeling confident enough to believe it won't disappear now?" Sam asked, sitting on the counter as I stood in the kitchen making us lunch.

"Hmm, yes," I said, peeling apart lunch meat and setting it on our sandwiches. Glancing up at her, I smiled. "Miss you though."

Her cheeks flushed, and she let out a nervous laugh. She knew I didn't really mean that I missed her, considering she was sitting right in front of me. Any sexual words still sounded funny to me so I avoided saying them very often. "Well, you know, we wouldn't want to overload your ears. You might lose your hearing again or something."

I rolled my eyes. "Sam. The doctor said the con-con," I made a face then signed the word "concussion" before continuing my sentence, "didn't stop me so that won't either."

"Doctors can be wrong," she argued.

"Just try," I said, setting our sandwiches aside and moving so I stood in front of her. "Please? Just a kiss?" I resisted the urge to make a face at my own voice; I still sounded like a little kid sometimes.

She heaved a sigh. "Oh, all right. One kiss can't hurt."

Grinning, I leaned forward, pressing my lips to hers. She had expected it to be a gentle, loving kiss, but I forced my tongue between her lips and ravaged her mouth like the night she had wanted to try again for the baby. The sound that left her mouth was electrocuting. Every nerve in my body seemed on edge, and I just had to hear more sounds like that coming from her. She didn't object as I lifted her up off the counter to lay her down on the kitchen floor. A bed would have to be for another time. Right now, I needed her.

Being able to hear every noise she made was far better sex than I had thought it would be. I couldn't believe something as simple as hearing could make something like that so much more enjoyable than it ever had been. Sam was lying beside me, muttering all kinds of things about how we shouldn't have done that then and how it was important to wait to give my ears full time to recover. Rolling over to face her, I clapped my hand over her mouth to stop her mutterings.

"I like hearing you," I said, "when you make noises. But this stuff you're doing now is annoying."

"Muttering," she corrected.

"Muddering," I repeated, and she giggled. I just rolled my eyes then started tickling her.

"No, Danny, stop!" she shrieked, rolling away to escape my hands. To my surprise, she slid right off the side of the bed with a muffled shriek. I snorted, trying hard to keep in my laughter, but she started laughing too. "I told you to stop!" she said, trying to catch her breath.

"Sorry," I said, giving her the most innocent look I could manage.

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A few weeks later, I woke up to the strangest sound I had heard since I'd gotten my hearing back. Sam wasn't beside me, but I found her throwing up in the bathroom. Oh, that's what that sound was. "Sam?"

She managed to turn her head for a moment, giving me a brief smile. "It's okay, Danny. I'm fine. Must've just eaten something weird."

I remembered she'd gotten sick at the party we had for her friends right after our honeymoon. That was just before she'd found out she was pregnant the first time. "You sure?" I asked. "Maybe it's something else."

Again, that strange sound filled my ears as she turned back to the toilet. She turned back to me again, looking tired and not at all well. "I doubt it, Danny. The doctor said it would take a while for my body to respond to the therapy."

"Doctor's can be wrong," I said, using her own argument against her. "It could be a baby." The word pregnancy was something I still couldn't grasp. Too many conflicting sounds or something.

She sighed, slowly getting up from in front of the toilet before moving over to the sink to brush her teeth. "If you want, we can get me tested, but don't get your hopes up, okay?"

I slid out of bed, walking over to her as she finished brushing her teeth. "Come on, back to bed," I said. "Sick or baby, you need rest." She stuck her tongue out at me, but I just grinned and led her back to the bed, tucking her in before climbing in beside her. "Love you, Sam," I whispered, pulling her into my arms. It finally came out sounding normal.

"Hmm, love you too, Danny," she murmured before drifting off to sleep.

When the sun had finally risen, I woke to that odd sound again. Sam was, once again, in the bathroom with her head in the toilet. I walked into the bathroom, kneeling beside her and pulling her hair back from her face while gently rubbing her back. Never in my life had I ever vomited so much; I couldn't imagine what this had to be like for Sam.

"Thanks," she whispered as she finished. I helped her stand up and left her to brush her teeth while I made her a plate of crackers and some apple juice. She walked into the kitchen still looking a little green, but she gave me a bright smile when I handed her the plate and cup. "That's sweet, Danny."

I sat down beside her on the couch, not feeling all that hungry myself. "Can we visit the doctor today?"

"Sure, honey, or we could get a home test."

Seeing the doctor would be more accurate, but Sam didn't seem to be in any condition to go anywhere. "I'll go get one."

She smiled gratefully. I waited until she'd finished her crackers and juice before leading her back to the bedroom and tucking her in. Her eyes were drifting shut when I left. Walking down to the corner store still hurt my sensitive ears a little. It wasn't as bad as when I'd first gotten my hearing, but screeching tires, honking horns, and shouting voices were still far too loud to be comfortable. I reached the corner store in about fifteen minutes, walking inside. I'd only been here a couple of times. The old man that owned it knew sign language and waved when he saw me.

Walking down the aisles, I scanned the items in search of the one I needed. Grinning, I grabbed the item I'd been searching for. Knowing Sam, she would doubt the first two tests so I grabbed two boxes. "How've you been, George?" I asked the man as I walked up to the register.

He jumped, startled by my voice. "You can talk?" he asked.

"Sure, I can. I can hear now too."

He laughed, slapping his hand against the counter. I tried not to cringe at the loud sound it made. "That's wonderful, Mr. Fenton." His gaze then drifted to the items I'd set on the counter. "Boy or girl?"

"Oh, uh… I don't know yet. I want a girl. We don't even know if we have a baby yet." I pulled out a twenty as he rang me up, handing the bill to him and taking the bag he'd put the tests in as I waited for my change.

"Good luck, and a tip for the morning sickness—make her Jell-O. It's the best thing to eat on an upset stomach."

I grinned. "Thanks." I waved then left the store, heading home as quickly as I could.

Sam was in the bathroom again when I walked in, and I set the boxes beside the sink so she could use them. Her gaze was doubtful, but she opened them up, pushing me out of the bathroom. I decided to follow George's advice and headed to the kitchen to make the Jell-O. About five minutes later, Sam walked into the kitchen carrying one of the four tests she'd had. There were tears in her eyes.

"Sam? What's wrong?" I asked, suddenly worried.

But she was smiling. "This is the fourth test." She held it out to me. "It shows a plus sign if you're pregnant."

I glanced at her then turned my attention to the test. There on the little area where the results showed was the plus sign as dark as it looked on the packaging. My eyes widened, and I looked to her for confirmation. "You're—"

She nodded, crying once more, and I lifted her up off the floor as I hugged her. We had finally gotten our second chance!

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**Author's Note: **_So, how many of you think it would end here? Well, it's not. We've got one more chapter! It'll probably be the shortest in the whole story, but I really, really, really want to make it to the baby's birth._

**Blanket disclaimer:** _Chapter 1._


	12. Chapter 12: The Cries of Joy

**Reviews:** Extant, Ella (anonymous reviewer), love-toushi, starr1095, ShortSweet'NToThePoint, silverstagbeauty, VampGrl1234.

**Story Alerts:** rebabe.

_**Chapter 12:**__ The Cries of Joy_

"Are you sure?" I glanced over at the dark-haired girl beside me, a little apprehensive.

Sam was now six months pregnant with our baby, a little girl as we had found out at one of the ultrasounds. Of course, her round belly or anything else to do with the pregnancy was not going to stop her from doing what she wanted. "Of course I'm sure."

"Sam, a home birth could be really unsafe," I tried to argue.

Her mind had been made up two weeks ago after watching a video on the internet of a mother giving birth at home to her first child. "It's what I want," she said, arms crossing over her chest.

I gritted my teeth, trying my hardest not to grip the steering wheel too tightly; I'd learned to drive three months earlier. "And I want my wife and my child to survive through birth," I ground out, blinking as my eyes started to burn. I didn't need to look over at her to know that had hurt. Sighing, I glanced over at her to see her staring down at her hands, sniffling. "Honey, come on… Don't be like that. I didn't mean to shout."

Wiping at her eyes, she shook her head. "You know you didn't shout; you didn't even raise your voice. But you're right too. I'm being selfish, and even the doctor says it's unsafe what with my first pregnancy ending in a miscarriage."

That, I hadn't known. I didn't know she'd talked to the doctor about it or that he'd even advised her against it because of the miscarriage. Gripping the steering wheel, I tried my hardest not to get angrier. How could she think to go against a doctor's advice? Especially when she knew we had nearly lost this one too. Sam had been admitted to the hospital after she started having labor pains at only four months pregnant. Thankfully, a specialist doctor had seen her and had managed to calm her and the baby down enough to save both of them. We visited that doctor now because of his specialty.

"Are you mad at me?" Sam whispered, sniffling once more.

How could I answer that? Gritting my teeth, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Pretty much, yeah. I mean, you know the risks, know how close we came to losing this baby too, even had a doctor's advise _against_ your plan, but you were stubbornly going to insist on your own way putting yourself _and_ the baby in danger." I looked over at her, ignoring the way my eyes still stung. "What the hell am I supposed to do if I lose you both, huh? It was bad enough with the first miscarriage, but honestly!" Shaking my head, I turned away as tears started slipping down her cheeks. "I just can't believe you would do this to me, yourself, and our baby."

"I'm sorry," she wailed, making me jump. I had to slam my foot on the gas again to keep from slamming into the guy in front of me. "I really just hate the idea of the doctors trying to put me through a cesarean! You can't ever have a normal birth after that! They won't let you! I really wanted to give birth naturally."

Running my fingers through my hair, I sighed. "Sam, you can still give birth _naturally_. The cesarean is for safety precautions, but you don't have to do it. As long as she and you are healthy enough, the doctor will let you do it naturally _at the hospital_. You have to be prepared that something might go wrong though and that you may have to go through with a cesarean."

She wiped at her eyes, hiccupping as she tried to stop crying. "O-okay, I just want what's best for baby."

Pulling into our spot at the apartment complex, I got out of the car then went around to help Sam out. As soon as she was standing, she hugged me tightly around the middle and started crying once again into my stomach. "Honey, come on," I whispered, wrapping my arms around her and stroking her hair. "It's going to be okay." I tilted her head up, kissing her gently on the lips. "I just don't want to lose you and the baby. It's so selfish, but I don't think I could survive if I lost both of you."

Her lilac eyes peeked up at me, and she managed a small smile. "'Snot that selfish," she whispered. "If it was the other way around, I wouldn't want to lose both of you either."

I gently stroked her cheek, gazing down at her. "So, we're going to a hospital for the birth, right?" She smiled up at me and nodded. "Good. Makes less for me to clean up too." She laughed and slapped my arm.

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Sam looked ready to pop. It was the best way I could describe it as the due date of our baby came closer and closer. The doctor had said September 15th, and it was already the 12th. I was surprised Sam could be so calm about this; I felt like I was on pins and needles. Every time Sam called for me, I thought for sure she was telling me it was time. Maybe I was just anxious to have the baby already; we'd waited so long for this little bundle of joy after all.

"Danny, just relax," Sam complained as I leapt out of bed for the fifth time that night. "Every move I make does not mean she's coming."

I ran my fingers through my hair, shaking my head. "I'm sorry. I'm just so antsy. The doctor said the fifteenth, and that's only a couple of days away!" I sat down beside her, sighing as she rubbed my shoulders. "We're so close to having her… I just want to hold her already."

"Trust me, sweetheart. I'm really excited too, but she'll come when she's ready. Would you really want her to come out before she's really that ready to join us in this world? Maybe her little lungs still need time to adjust. Maybe her little heart doesn't feel ready to beat without my help." She gasped suddenly, and I turned to look at her. Her eyes were wide, and she had a hand on her abdomen. "Or maybe she was just waiting for her daddy to calm down."

"What?!" I leapt up off the bed, staring at her. "She's coming now?"

She laughed then grimaced, gripping the comforter tighter. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure this time it's real. Get the hospital bag. I'll call Dr. Eldivar."

"No, I'll do that." I snatched the phone from her hand, scooping up the bag we'd prepared early for this time. "Come on, honey, let's get you to the car." Quickly dialing the doctor's number, I put the phone between my ear and shoulder then reached out to help Sam off the bed.

"Ow! Ow…" She gripped my arm tightly, and I tried my best not to complain either. "Ugh, I didn't realize this would be so painful."

I laughed. "Of course it's going to be painful, honey." Then I turned my attention to the phone as a groggy doctor answer. "Hi, Dr. Eldivar? It's Daniel Fenton. Sam and I are on the way to the hospital. She's started having some contractions."

"I'll be right there," he said then the line went dead. I raised my head so the phone fell to the floor, kicking it out of my way as I led Sam as quickly and as painlessly as I could toward the front door.

Just as I got Sam into the front seat of the car, something wet trickled down from between her legs. "Uh, Danny? I think that was my water breaking."

"Shit…" I made certain she was completely in the car before closing the door and running around the front of the car. "Buckle up," I told Sam as I climbed in behind the wheel.

We took off, the tires screeching on the pavement. I had thought I would be prepared when this moment came. After all, I'd spent so many times leaping out of my seat at Sam's every call thinking it was time to take her. Unfortunately, actually having to take her to the hospital was a completely different situation. I tried my best to catch every green light. When they were red, I would wait—just like an emergency vehicle—then take off when it was clear.

The hospital came into view far too slowly for me what with Sam gripping either my arm or the arm of the chair and squeezing it with her vice-like grip. Parking in the labor and delivery area, I ran for a wheelchair for Sam before helping her out of the car. She was breathing really heavily, and she was already sweating a lot. Dr. Eldivar met us just as I walked into the ER, leading us down to a birthing room.

"Relax, everything's going to be fine," Dr. Eldivar said. I thought he was talking to Sam, but he gently pried my hand off of the wheelchair handles and pushed me into the chair beside the birthing bed. "Really, Mr. Fenton, you need to relax. Sam will need your support more than anything else, but you'll be no help to anyone if you keep hyperventilating like that."

I hadn't even realized I'd been doing that. I tried to keep my breathing even and light as Dr. Eldivar and two nurses helped get Sam onto the bed. Dr. Eldivar left to prepare, promising to be back to check on Sam's dilation levels now and then. One of the nurses stayed behind to hook up an IV and heart monitor. The last thing she did was hook up a heart monitor for the baby too then checked on Sam's dilation.

"Danny…" Sam's eyes were wide as she turned her head toward me, reaching out for my hand. I reluctantly relinquished it to her, gritting my teeth as she squeezed it tight. "I'm scared!" There were tears streaming down her cheeks, and she was shaking her head. "What if something goes wrong?"

"Honey, just relax." Evidently I looked a lot calmer than I felt because I was freaking out inside. My thoughts were right where hers were. What if we lost another baby? "Everything's going to be fine. We've made it this far. I doubt we're going to lose her now."

"I'm so scared, Danny… Please, just hold me," she pleaded. I couldn't exactly climb into the hospital bed with her, but I did my best to wrap my arms around her while still letting her hold tightly to my right hand. At least it had gone numb now.

Dr. Eldivar returned about an hour later, looking much more prepped to deliver a baby and not quite as casual as when he had greeted us. "All right, Mrs. Fenton, let's just take a look here." He lifted up the blanket to look between her legs, and I had to look away. Something about another guy looking at her down there, even a doctor, made me nervous. "You're doing great, Mrs. Fenton. In fact, I think you're ready to push." He set the blanket on her knees, looking up at Sam. "Have you felt like pushing yet?"

She nodded. "Every other contraction feels really powerful, like it's trying to push without me."

"Good, that's good." He pressed the 'call nurse' button on the wall then went over to the sink, sterilizing his hands. "Mr. Fenton, do you plan on cutting your baby's umbilical cord?"

"Oh, uh, um… Yes?" I hadn't even thought about that, but I supposed it couldn't hurt. Sam gave me a weak smile then gritted her teeth once more.

The nurse walked in and began preparing the weigh area and cleaning area for the baby. She wouldn't actually do anything for the birth, but she would be taking care of everything afterward. Dr. Eldivar walked back over to us, sitting on a stool between Sam's legs. I tried my hardest not to get jealous; that was just not the best place I could think of for the doctor to sit right now.

"All right, Sam, push."

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I thought for sure I would go deaf again between Sam screaming at me and the doctor trying to yell over her to tell her to keep pushing. Sam threatened me with castration, complete penile removal, chopping off my balls herself, and for some reason she threatened to shove a red-hot fireplace poker up my ass. None of that sounded very pleasant, but I tried not to take it to heart. Even so, my groin seemed to ache a little just with the thought of those promised threats. It seemed like hours had gone by, but when I looked at the clock, only half an hour had gone by.

Just as I turned my head back to Sam from looking at the clock, the doctor shouted, "She's out!" The nurse rushed over and lifted her up a bit, rubbing her, and the tiny cries of my baby girl filled the room.

Sam was staring at the little person in the nurse's arms with absolute awe in her eyes. I couldn't help feeling the same way, unable to believe that the beautiful baby girl now getting rubbed down was ours. The doctor handed me some medical scissors as the nurse sectioned off the area where I would cut with medical clamps. For some reason, I was afraid I would hurt the baby, holding these scissors in my hand. I knew the umbilical cord didn't actually have anything left in it that was actually helping the baby. There were no nerves in it, but I couldn't help wincing as I cut it.

Nothing changed in the baby's cries, and the nurse took her over to be weighed and measured before bringing her back over bundled up in a blanket with a little hat on her head and mittens on her hands. Sam held her arms out for her baby on instinct, tears sliding down her cheeks. The nurse relinquished the baby with a smile and a murmur of congratulations before slipping out of the room. I sat by and watched as my wife and daughter bonded for the first time outside of the womb.

"Oh, Danny," she whispered, gently stroking the little bit of hair our daughter had, "she's gorgeous."

"Yeah, she is," I whispered, edging closer.

As if sensing what I wanted, Sam smiled at me then held the baby out for me to take. I hesitated, suddenly worried that maybe I would drop her or she wouldn't like me. Very slowly, Sam helped me get her situated in my arms, and I stood as I held her. Rocking her gently, I smiled as she opened her eyes to look at me.

"Hello, baby," I whispered, "I'm your daddy…"

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**Author's Note:** _Finished! Hope you all enjoyed, and I hope you all keep checking back for more stories from me! I've got plans for a really angsty tale. I just gotta think of a way to start it... I can think of several scenes I want to write right now, but none of them are the beginning scene.  
_

**Blanket disclaimer: **_Chapter 1._


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